Untouchable
by evendeathwontpartusnow
Summary: When Kurt and Blaine have a magical rom-com accidental meetup in a coffee shop, everyone tells them it's meant to be. But they're just friends...right? And if they ever have the courage to admit their feelings, will they ever be able to defeat their own demons enough to help each other?
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: Hello, dear readers. If you are reading this...wow. I was not expecting that. Since you've done me the great honour of reading my fanfic, I have a confession to make: I haven't watched Glee since around 2015. Shocking, right? It used to be my world. I spent my days as a pre-teen reading and writing fanfiction about the characters and I didn't even watch season 6. The truth is, readers, I wrote this circa 2013 when I was 14 years old. I am now 19 and in university. I don't know if anyone will read this, but I poured my little 14-year-old heart into this fanfiction, and there's no sense in leaving it sitting in my documents folder collecting dust. Maybe there's someone out there who still cares about Glee and will derive a bit of joy from my work. If that is you, then I hope you enjoy this little story. I'm sending it out into the world for your enjoyment. Without further ado, here is Untouchable:_  
**

* * *

 _1 NEW TEXT_

 **RACHEL: Can you pick up some eggs while you're out? I wanna try making a soufflé for dinner :)**

Kurt shook his head. Ever since he had mentioned to Rachel a few weeks ago that he did all the cooking in their apartment, she had become obsessed with cooking all of their meals. Considering that Rachel's best dish was Kraft Dinner…it was torture. Well, he did have to walk past the supermarket on the way home, and he should probably pick up some microwavable lasagna for when his roommate's dinner failed miserably.

 _KURT: Fine_

Kurt walked into Whole Foods and walked into the dairy section for the eggs. Then he remembered that they'd run out of cereal this morning, so he grabbed some All-Bran. _Then_ he saw that there was a sale on tomatoes, which he needed for a recipe he wanted to try out. After that, he grabbed some backup food for tonight sure-to-be trainwreck dinner. By the time he was done, he had his arms full of food. _I should have grabbed a basket_ , he thought. He started walking from the bakery section to the entrance where the baskets were when his phone buzzed.

 _1 NEW TEXT:_

 **Could you grab some mashed potato flakes too? I'm planning shepherd's pie for tomorrow**

Kurt rolled his eyes and turned to go back when he crashed into someone and dropped all his food. The eggs fell and broke on the floor. He bent down to grab his other unbroken foods while the stranger did the same.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry…." The other person said apologetically.

"Its fine, it was-"Kurt froze as he looked up and found the most beautiful face he had ever seen just inches from his. The man had dark, gelled hair and hazel eyes. They stayed like that for a few seconds, looking into each other's faces before the other man looked away and continued picking up Kurt's things.

"Really, I'm so sorry, it was my fault." He said, running his hand through his hair, a gesture that Kurt found adorable. _Stop that! You don't even know him!_ Kurt mentally scolded himself.

"No, it wasn't your fault. I was the one distracted." Kurt argued.

The stranger sighed. "Well, at least let me pay for your groceries. It's the least I can do."

"No, you don't have to-"

"Please. I want to." He said. Then he grinned mischievously. "Don't make me pull out the puppy dog eyes…"

"What-"Kurt was cut off by the most ridiculous puppy eyes he had ever seen. He laughed, and said, "Well, I can't say no to that!" The other man smiled and took the groceries. They walked to the checkout line, which was surprisingly empty for a Sunday evening. After the stranger paid, he walked Kurt to the exit.

"What a gentleman," Kurt said.

"And they say that chivalry's dead." The other man replied with a smile. Kurt laughed.

"But seriously, thank you for paying for my groceries. It was really nice, considering it wasn't even your fault." Kurt mentioned.

He rolled his eyes. "Right, because it wasn't me who was so lost in my daydreams that I didn't even notice that there was someone in front of me."

"Then we'll call it even," Kurt replied, adjusting the grocery bags in his arms. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."

"Goodbye, then," The man said with a smile that left Kurt in a daze before walking away. Kurt wished he had asked for the stranger's name. But it was too late now. He walked home and turned the key to the apartment he shared with Rachel. He barely had time to step in the door when his roommate practically attacked him.

"Did you get my text? Because you didn't text me back! Did you get the eggs? What about the mashed potatoes?" She asked excitedly. Kurt put the bags in the kitchen and handed her the food.

"Yes, I got them, and your second text actually killed the first carton of eggs I had grabbed," He said. Rachel gave him a puzzled look. "When I got your text, I turned around to go get the potato flakes and I crashed into some guy," He paused, thinking of the handsome stranger before continuing. "Causing me to drop the eggs and therefore metaphorically kill them."

Rachel squinted her eyes at him before saying, "He was cute, wasn't he?"

"What? Who?" Kurt asked, confused.

"The guy you bumped in to! Look, I probably shouldn't mention this, but you always bite the inside of your cheek when you talk about someone attractive." Kurt's eyes widened as he noticed that he had been biting his cheek. "You're blushing!" Rachel said laughing as Kurt felt heat rush up to his face.

"So, tell me about him! On a scale of one to ten, what would you give him?" She asked.

Kurt sighed. "On a scale of one to ten, I'd give him…an 8. Maybe 8 ½…a 9…but not over a 9.8." Rachel stared at him. "Look, it doesn't matter anyways. He's probably straight. And even if he was gay, I'm never going to see him again."

"No! Kurt, don't you see? This is just like that rom-com we watched the other day! You know, the one where the two people meet because they step into a taxi from opposite sides and they think they're never going to see each other again but then they do when they meet at the restaurant where she works part-time and then the fall in love and they have-"

"RACHEL!" Kurt yelled to stop her from going any further. "I crashed into him at the supermarket, he very kindly offered to pay for my groceries even though it wasn't his fault, he walked me to the exit and we parted ways. That's it."

"HE PAID FOR YOUR GROCERIES?!" Rachel exclaimed. "Oh my God, Kurt, that is so romantic, I can't even…"

Kurt sighed. "Rachel, there is nothing going on. I don't even know why you're overanalyzing this so much. DON'T ANSWER THAT," He said as Rachel opens her mouth to say something. "Now can you please get started on failing at making soufflé? I want to be able to have the lasagna in the microwave by 6:30."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Fine. But this isn't over."

* * *

Blaine Anderson was late for work.

Granted, it was just a part-time job at a local coffee shop, but he HATED being late. He had been trapped in a strange dream where it was all black except for a pair of blue eyes. It was such a nice dream he hadn't wanted to wake up. Well, he got his wish. He had slept in until 7:40, and his shift started at 8:00. He jumped out of bed, took a 2-minute shower, grabbed a granola bar from the pantry, selected a bowtie from his vast collection and ran out the door.

As he walked down the streets of New York, his thoughts kept going back to the eyes in his dream. He had read somewhere that every dream means something. He'd never believed it, because practically every dream he had had for the past 6 years had been about getting accepted to Hogwarts. But maybe those eyes actually meant something. _Nah,_ he thought to himself. _I'm over thinking this_

Blaine checked his watch as he walked into the shop. 8:03! He was three whole minutes late! He ran into the kitchen to grab his apron when his manager, Wes grabbed his arm.

"Can we talk for a sec?" Wes asked him. Blaine gulped. He had known Wes since high school, and he knew that he hated tardiness as much as Blaine did. They walked to the back of the kitchen.

"What's going on with you? You're never late." Wes asked him in a serious voice.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry!"

"Okay, there are three reasons someone who hates lateness as much as you do would be late. Number one, you're being intimate with the love of your life. Number two, you're _pretending_ to be intimate with the love of your life. Number three, you're dreaming about the love of your life. Pick one, or I pick for you." Wes said, staring at him.

"Um…well, it definitely wasn't one or two…but the only thing I dreamed about was a pair of eyes!" Blaine said exasperatedly.

Wes' eyes widened. "What did they look like?"

"…They were the most beautiful things I'd ever seen."

"Did they look familiar?"

"I think so; I just can't put my finger on whose they are," Blaine answered, sighing.

"Well, they clearly belong to the love of your life; we just have to find out whose they are." Blaine rolled his eyes.

"Wes, why would I be dreaming about the eyes of the love of my life? I don't even know who's they are!"

"Blaine, I'm gonna make this quick because you need to get to work, but listen: why would a stranger's eyes appear in your dream unless they were your soulmate? This is a sign. Something big is going to happen, I can tell." And with that he handed Blaine his apron and sent him outside.

* * *

 _Hey Rach. Are we still on for coffee at noon? I need some caffeine_

 **Sorry, some kids from school invited me to lunch. Apparently one of their dads is a famous Broadway director, and if I can get on his good side he can pull some strings to get me into his dad's next show**

 _Ah, theatre. The art of singing, backstabbing and kissing asses to get what you want_

 **Shut up! Anyways, I can join you tomorrow**

 _Fine. I'll just go drink my grande non-fat mocha in the back of the shop, all lonely while you're off kissing up to the son of a famous theatre director so you can get the part of Street Urchin Number 6 in an off-Broadway revival of_ Les Mis

 **Love you too**

* * *

Blaine's day had gotten progressively worse. He didn't understand how so many things could go wrong in just a few short hours. First one of their bakers dropped some brownie mix on his pants that left a stain that just wouldn't come out. Then while he was taking someone's coffee order he slipped on some cappuccino that one of the other cashiers had spilt, causing him to fall face first on the floor resulting in a nosebleed and what was sure to be a black eye. Then their smoothie machine broke, and it just happened to be a day where everyone wanted a smoothie and would settle for nothing less than a smoothie. And to top it all off, two separate girls had hit on him. One was actually so angry when he told her he played for another team that she threw her coffee in his face and left without paying. AND his thoughts kept coming back to those eyes he had seen in his dream. He couldn't even decide what colour they had been anymore. Blue, green, grey?

As he stood in the men's washroom trying to wash the coffee out of his apron with a paper towel, Blaine thought about his life. What was he doing? Here he was, 22 years old, and still no closer to his dream than he had been 4 years ago when he came to New York. He had been working part-time at a coffee shop for 3 years, for God's sake! And every time he tried to put aside some money for his education, he ended up having to use it to pay his rent, or for food, or to pay off some debt he had completely forgotten about. And his parents were no help…he shook his head to clear him of those thoughts. _This week just sucks,_ He thought to himself. _The only good thing that happened this week was that man I met at the supermarket yesterday…_

He closed his eyes and let the stranger's face form behind his eyelids. Perfect porcelain skin so smooth it appeared to be made out of china. Chestnut-coloured hair that looked so soft and silky Blaine just wanted to run his hands through it. But the most memorable part about him had been his eyes. They were so blue it was hard to look at them. Yet they had traces of green and grey in them…it was such a unique combination. Too bad he would never see him again. If only he had asked for his name… Blaine put his head in his hands and groaned. He heard the door open as Wes walked in.

"Hey buddy, whatcha doing?" He asked gently.

"Reevaluating my life," Blaine said into his hands, sliding down on to the floor. Wes knelt down and put a hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong with your life?" Wes asked.

"Everything. My job, my parents, my apartment, my lack of money, my dreams, and my complete and utter lack of a love life!"

Wes sighed. "Well, about your job, it can be hard to find decent employment at our age, especially in NYC. And I know you've tried searching, but keep going. There's gotta be something out there. As for your parents, they're assholes, and that's all I can really say. Your apartment…I've told you multiple times you can move in with me and David if it gets too hard. We wouldn't mind a third roomie. Lack of money…again, I've offered you some, but you are too stubborn to actually take it. So here," He said, shoving $30 into Blaine's hand. "I know it's not much, but keep it in your fund for university. Which brings me to my next point," He said before Blaine could protest about the money. "Your dreams. You'll get there someday buddy, I promise. And as for your love life…there's someone out there for everybody."

Blaine nodded sorrowfully. "Thanks, Wes. At least I have good friends." He said chuckling.

Wes smiled. "Anytime, B. Oh, and before I forget, why are your clothes soaked in coffee?"

Blaine laughed. " _Another_ girl tried to give me her number, and when I rejected her, she threw her coffee at me and left while yelling "Why are all the hot ones gay?!"

"Another one? That's the third time this week! Why are you the one that gets all the girls? You'd think they'd be into me, the hot _straight_ guy, but NOOOO." Wes said in mock anger. "That's it; tomorrow I'm making you a rainbow apron that says "Sorry, I'm into dudes".

"You do that."

Wes nodded. "Alright, you have 10 minutes left of your shift. Do you want me to let you off early?"

"Nah," Blaine said. "10 minutes isn't going to kill me."

"Alright. Hey, maybe you'll meet the love of your life out there. You know the one whose eyes you dreamt about?" Wes said, playfully hitting him on the shoulder.

"Right," Blaine said, rolling his eyes as he walked back into the shop.

The next few minutes passed uneventfully. He didn't have any customers, so he just stood there and doodled on a napkin, waiting for his shift to end. Then he heard the bell on the door jingle and saw someone walking in. "Hi, could I get a grande non-fat mocha and a blueberry muffin please?" The person said in a light, high pitched voice. It sounded familiar, but he just couldn't put his finger on whose it was.

"Sure," Blaine said not really looking up. He grabbed the coffee and the muffin and walked back to the counter, handing them to the man. "That'll be two seventy-"He said, freezing when he saw the man's face. It was the same person he had crashed in to at the store.


	2. Chapter 2

As Kurt walked to the coffee shop, he reflected on how badly his audition had gone. Not his singing, of course. He'd sounded amazing. "Not the Boy Next Door" was HIS song. It was the song that _almost_ got him into NYADA. And he had sung it amazingly back then too. It's just that _Rachel_ had convinced them to let her in because of her "determination" and "drive" even though she had failed her audition. Not that he was bitter or anything (much)…anyways. He, like all the auditioners, had been listening through the door to hear the other's auditions. And it just so happened that the guy before him had chosen to sing "Not the Boy Next Door" as well. Then afterwards he read some sappy poem about why he would be the best choice for the lead because he was "trustworthy" and "reliable". By the time Kurt walked in, the director was almost in tears. Then halfway through his version of the song, he had been cut off with a "Thank you for coming". It had been a disaster.

When he walked into the shop, there was no line. The only barista was doodling on a napkin behind the counter. He walked up and ordered his coffee (and a muffin, because it had been a bad day; he should be allowed to eat junk food). The man behind the counter barely looked at him. He looked slightly familiar, although he didn't know why. "That'll be two seventy-"The man said, and Kurt nearly dropped his coffee when he realized who it was. It was the stranger who had paid for his groceries the day before!

They stood there for who knows how long, just staring at each other. Kurt felt like he was sinking into the man's gorgeous hazel eyes. They were almost golden, like honey. He snapped out of his daze when the man let go of the coffee cup and said, "Hi."

* * *

Blaine had no idea how long he stood there, staring at this beautiful man. It was the same porcelain face, the same chestnut hair, the same blue eyes. The very same. Suddenly, he realized he was still holding the coffee cup, and their fingers were lightly touching. He let go, and, not knowing what to say, said "Hi." _Hi? Really Blaine? Could you not think of anything better?_ But really, he could barely think at all.

They stayed silent for a few seconds before the other man said "This is weird. It's like the universe has decided that we need to be best friends."

Blaine's heart fell a little bit when he said 'best friends'. But he laughed uncertainly and said "Yeah." Not knowing what else to say, he took a deep breath and said "Look, I finish my shift in, like, 30 seconds. Are you staying here to drink your coffee?"

The man nodded. "Then how about I join you?" _What are you doing Blaine?_ His mind was screaming. But he didn't care. This mysterious, beautiful person had slipped through his fingers once, and he'd be damned if he let it happen again without at least trying to get to know him.

He nearly had a heart attack when the man said: "I'd like that." Blaine smiled.

"I'll be right out." He said, running to the kitchen. Before he could hang up his apron, Wes grabbed his arm.

"Blaine, what the hell was that?" He asked.

"He's…just a guy," Blaine answered nervously.

Wes shook his head. "That was not 'just a guy'. You stared at each other for like 10 minutes. Tell me what's really going on, or I'll have to find out myself." Blaine groaned. He knew that Wes 'finding out himself' meant going out there and asking the guy a bunch of embarrassing questions like 'Are you Blaine's boyfriend?' or "Have you slept with him yet?'. So he explained the situation briefly, and by the end, Wes was hopping around and screaming excitedly.

"OH MY GOD! THIS IS IT, BLAINEY! I SAID MAYBE YOU WERE GOING TO MEET YOUR SOULMATE IF YOU WENT OUT AND FINISHED YOUR SHIFT, AND I WAS RIGHT! I WAS RIGHT FOR ONCE, DAMMIT! I KNEW SOMETHING LIKE THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, I JUST KNEW IT! I-"

'WES!' Blaine yelled. "First of all, he is not my soulmate! He is just a guy that, yes, I find attractive, but that does not mean that I am in love with him or he is in love with me. Second of all, stop jumping around like that. You look like you're having a spasm."

Wes giggled. "But it's just so romantic!"

Blaine rolled his eyes. "I swear I'm best friends with a fourteen-year-old girl."

"But in all seriousness, Blaine, what do you feel when you look at him?" We asked him.

Blaine paused, trying to sum up his feelings. "I can't really explain it. It's like…I'm drawn to him. There's just something about him that makes me want to get to know him."

"AWWWWWW!"

Blaine sighed. "I'm going to go back outside before he thinks I left." He walked back into the shop and saw the man sitting at a table in the back of the shop. He smiled and walked over.

The stranger grinned. "I thought you'd ditched me, Blaine!" he said.

Blaine stared at him. "How'd you know my name?"

"Because I'm psychic!" He said in a spooky voice. Blaine stared at him, unimpressed. "Fine, I read your name tag."

"Ah, and here I thought I had stumbled upon someone with superpowers!" Blaine said laughing. "Alright, lemme try and guess your name."

The man smiled. "Go ahead; I would love to see your best attempt."

Blaine grinned. "Okay…your name is…Chris!" He guessed. The man chuckled.

"No. Good guess though. Everyone thinks I look like one." He said, laughing again. _God, his laugh is so beautiful._ It was high pitched and reminded him of wind chimes.

"Well, then what is your name? You've kept me in suspense long enough!" Blaine exclaimed.

The stranger flashed that beautiful smile. "Kurt. Kurt Hummel." _Kurt._ It fit him perfectly.

"Well, at least I don't have to refer to you as Stranger anymore!" Blaine mentioned. Kurt smiled, and Blaine was practically left breathless. He was amazing.

* * *

They talked for hours. It seemed like minutes. Kurt didn't even notice the tie flying by. He was just so lost in Blaine. _Blaine_. He was so happy that he could put a name to that face. That beautiful face.

When Kurt finally decided to check his watch, he was shocked to realize that he had spent an hour and a half at the coffee shop.

"Wow, we've been here a while!" He said.

Blaine checked his watch. "I guess it's cause you're so easy to talk to." He said with a wink. Kurt blushed. Was he…flirting? No, he was probably straight.

"Well, I'd better get going before my roommate sends out a search party, or worse, comes and finds me herself," Kurt said, getting up.

Blaine furrowed his triangular eyebrows. "You room with a girl?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, it's not like anything's going to happen, considering I'm gay and she has an on/off thing with my stepbrother." Kurt said casually.

"You're gay?" Blaine asked.

"Um…yeah. I hope you don't have any issues with that." Kurt said simply.

"No, no, it's fine. I am too. I just didn't expect it." Blaine answered.

Now it was Kurt's turn to look confused. "You didn't expect it? Look at me; I'm a walking, talking stereotype!"

"You? Are you kidding? I wear a bowtie to work; I'm one of the most obvious people you'll ever meet!" Blaine argued.

"I carry copies of _Vogue_ in my bag."

"I haven't worn socks in 6 years."

"I spend an hour moisturizing my face at night."

"I spend 2 hours on my hair every morning."

Kurt laughed. "Okay, I don't think I can beat that!" Blaine grinned. "But seriously, I have to go. It's been nice talking to you, Blaine. I hope we can do this again."

"Can I have your number?"

Kurt froze. Blaine wanted his number? The last time a guy had asked for his number…he shuddered and tried to shake off the memory. When he looked back at Blaine, he was looking panicked.

"I mean, it's okay if you don't want to give it to me, I understand, I mean, why would you anyways? I just meant so that we could try and see each other again, but it's fine if you don't want to, really-"

"Blaine!" Kurt said, cutting him off. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, handing it to Blaine. "Give me your phone." He said. Blaine sighed in relief and handed over the phone. Kurt put in his number and handed it back. "I'll talk to you later then." He said with a smile and walked out of the shop.

* * *

 _You idiot! Why would you ask for his number? Why would he want to give you his number? He just met you! God, you can be stupid sometimes Anderson!_

"I mean, it's okay if you don't want to give it to me, I understand, I mean, why would you anyways? I just meant so that we could try and see each other again, but it's fine if you don't want to, really-"

"Blaine!" Kurt said, handing Blaine his phone. Blaine sighed in relief. Kurt had gotten this frightened expression on his face when he had asked him, so it was a wonder to Blaine as to why he actually wanted to exchange numbers.

"I'll talk to you later then," Kurt said with an adorable little smile as he walked out. As soon as Kurt was gone, Wes sat down in the empty seat in front of him.

"So, what happened? Did you ask him out? Did you profess your undying love for each other? Did you propose? Did you suggest that you run away to the countryside and elope because you're part of rival gangs who will never allow you to be together?"

Blaine rolled his eyes (for the fifth time that day). "Why, again, did I force you to watch West Side Story?"

"THAT'S NOT AN ANSWER!"

"Fine. To answer your questions, no we are not part of rival gangs, no we are not engaged, and no I did not ask him out." Wes reached over across the table and smacked him in the face.

"OW! What was that for?" Blaine yelled his cheek red.

"Why didn't you ask him out? This boy is clearly _the one_ ; you need to get together already!"

"Wes, he is not "clearly the one", he's just a guy who I happen to get along with!"

Wes shook his head. "Someday, when you two are old and married and living in a nursing home, you're going to look back on this moment and remember how stupid you were."

Blaine nodded sarcastically. "Alright, I'm leaving before you start planning our wedding."

"AHA! SO THERE WILL BE A WEDDING!"

"Goodbye, Wes."

* * *

Rachel, I'm home!" Kurt looked around. His roommate was nowhere to be found. "Rachel?" Maybe she was still out with her friends. He turned around and nearly had a heart attack saw Rachel sitting in a chair, stone-faced and silent.

"Rachel, you scared me!" Kurt yelled, clutching his heart.

Rachel stood up. " _I_ scared _you?_ Where in Barbra's name have you been? I was expecting you home an hour ago!"

"Why do you care? You're not my mom." He thought about his mom and how if she was still around he would have probably called home to gush to her about Blaine.

"So what's his name?"

Kurt jumped. "What do you-" He was biting his cheek. _Dammit._ Rachel stared at him, waiting for an answer.

Kurt sighed. "His name's Blaine. He's…nice." Rachel's face broke out into a smile.

"Tell me everything! Wait!" She said. "What about the guy you met at the supermarket yesterday?"

"Funny story actually…that guy I met yesterday is Blaine." He launched into the story. Once he finished, Rachel was screaming in joy.

"I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU YOU'D SEE HIM AGAIN! THIS IS AMAZING AND SO ROMANTIC AND OH MY GOD THIS GUY'S PROBABLY YOUR SOULMATE AND OH MY GOD!" She yelled.

"Rachel! Stop acting like a 12-year-old girl meeting Taylor Lautner!"

"I CAN'T HELP IT! IT'S JUST SO ADORABLE!" She grabbed his shoulders. "Did he ask you out?"

"No."

"Did you ask him out?'

"No."

Rachel put her head in her hands and groaned. "Why not?"

"Because! He's just a guy that I happen to get along with! There's nothing going on!"

"But Kurt, this guy could be the one!"

"I thought Tim was the one. And look how that worked out."

Rachel's face fell. "I'm sorry, Kurt. I should have known you wouldn't want to get into something like that after what that asshole did to you."

"It's fine. I…I'm just not in the place to be in a relationship right now." Kurt said.

Rachel nodded. "I understand. Are you going to see him again?"

"I'd like to."

"Alright. Who knows, maybe a flirtationship is just what you need to get you back on your feet."

"It's not a flirtationship, it's just a friendship!"

"Okay, okay, no need to be so defensive!" Kurt rolled his eyes when his phone buzzed. It was Blaine.

Hey stranger ;)

Kurt smiled. Rachel ran over to see what it was. She stared at him pointedly after reading it. "A winky face, Kurt? Really?"

"Shut up!" Kurt said and walked into his room.

 _Well hello Blaine._

I had fun today :)

 _What is it with you and emoticons?_

What, you don't like it? :(

 _*virtual eye roll*_

Oh, come on, admit it's adorable

 _Not a chance. Say, are you working tomorrow?_

As a matter of fact, I am. I get off at 4

 _Well then maybe I'll stop by ;)_

Oh, so you can do emoticons and I can't? Where's the justice in that?

 _I can use emoticons because I'm amazing._

And I'm not?

 _No. You're…I'm trying to think of the perfect word to describe you but I'm blanking._

Adorable? Swell? Dashingly handsome?

 _Eh, it'll come to me._

Well, in that case, I guess I'll see you tomorrow :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

 _I'm officially adding 'immature' to the list of possible adjectives._

Bye Kurt ;)

 _Bye :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Wow! People are actually reading this! If you're here, I hope you're enjoying reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it way back when. Keep in mind I was 13 when I wrote this so don't judge me too harshly for not knowing how coffee shops or jobs in general work. Enjoy chapter 3!**_

* * *

For the first time in his life, Blaine was excited to go to work.

He set his alarm for 6:30 am and woke up with a smile. He would get to see Kurt again today! He didn't know why the boy that made him so happy, he just did. He got up, showered, and for the first time in a while he made himself some pancakes. As he ate, he tried to think about his dream (which was about those mysterious eyes again) but his thoughts kept coming back to Kurt. That brown hair, that adorable smile, those thin, beautiful lips…he snapped out of it. _Time to go._

This time as he walked to work, he was practically skipping. Only 8 hours till he got to see Kurt again. He walked in to the kitchen with a smile and walked up to Wes.

"Hello friend! God, it's a beautiful day! The sun is shining and everything's nice! I just have SO MUCH energy today! I'm gonna get my apron and get to work, and then I'm going to build a house for Habitat for Humanity! Why do you look so tired? Chipper up, it's a beautiful day today!"

Wes stared at him. "Blaine, did someone slip something in to your oatmeal this morning? Because your upbeat positivity is really starting to scare me."

Blaine shook his head. "Nope! I had pancakes this morning!"

His eyes bugged. "You made yourself pancakes?"

"Uh-huh. From scratch!"

"That's it; I'm taking you to the hospital so they can make you pee in a cup." Wes said, dragging his friend towards the door.

"I'm not high on drugs, Wes, I'm high on happiness!"

"What are you so happy about?"

"Kurt! I'm seeing Kurt today!"

West stared at him for a few seconds before starting to scream excitedly. "AHHHH THIS IS SO ADORABLE!"

"What do you mean, it's adorable? I'm just excited to see my friend."

"YOUR FRIEND THAT YOU'RE IN LOOOOVE WITH!"

Blaine glared at him. "I am not in love with him, I just happen to appreciate the normality of his company in comparison to your complete and utter insanity."

"Stop using big words to confuse me."

"How, again, did you get in to law school?" Blaine asked.

"I'm good with a gavel."

And with that, Blaine grabbed his apron and went outside to start his shift. _Only 7 hours and 50 minutes till I see him._

* * *

When Kurt woke up, Rachel had already left for school, which was unusual. He got up and went to the kitchen, where he found a note on the table.

 _Moring sleepyhead!_

 _Since you weren't up to make breakfast, I improvised and made some pancakes. I put the leftovers in the fridge. Enjoy!_

 _Xo_

 _Rach_

 _P.S Good luck on your_ _date_ _meeting!_

Kurt went to open the fridge. He saw a plate of badly burnt, misshapen pancakes. _Yeah, not happening._ He threw out the pancakes and started to make an omelet with the eggs leftover from Rachel's failed soufflé. While he ate, he wondered what he would do to entertain himself all day. He had wanted to clean the apartment all week, but had been too busy. Well, he was free today. Until 4, that is. So it was decided. He would clean while Rachel was gone, seeing as every time he tried to clean while she was around she would just stand in the middle of the room practicing her scales, refusing to help because it would 'damage her voice'.

As he grabbed the Clorox and started cleaning, he thought about his date meeting with Blaine. He sighed. To be honest, he really liked Blaine. He was nice, funny, adorable, smart, and God, he was handsome. On top of that he was so easy to talk to. Kurt felt like he had known him for years. But…there was still the issue of Tim. After what had happened with him, he was scared that any relationship that he was in would somehow end like that. Not that he thought that Blaine would hurt him, whether they were together or not. And even though he had finished therapy a few months ago…he was still kind of terrified.

He cleared his head of thoughts of his ex. He would join Blaine for coffee, and see how things went. And even if he did end up getting over his fear of relationships, Blaine probably wouldn't ever like him like that anyways. But there was just something about those eyes …

* * *

Blaine checked his watch. 3:55. Only 5 minutes until he would get to see Kurt again. He had been counting down the hours (and minutes) since he started his shift. Only 5 minutes until he would get to see that beautiful face. Wait. What if Kurt didn't show up? What if he finished his shift and sat down at the table where they had sat yesterday and waited for him to walk through the door and he never did? He started panicking. What if this was all some big practical joke that life was playing on him (as if life hadn't been hard on him enough)? What if – _Oh._

There he was, looking even more beautiful than he had the day before. He was wearing a white collared short-sleeved shirt with a red plaid sweater vest over top, and his jeans were so tight they looked like they had been spray-painted on. Blaine smiled as Kurt walked up to the counter.

"Hi, could I get a-"

"Grande non-fat mocha?" Blaine said, sliding the coffee over.

"You know my coffee order," Kurt said with a smirk.

Blaine winked. "Of course I do. Be right back." He went to the back and grabbed the clothes he had set aside so that he wouldn't have to sit in his work clothes. He walked back outside and found Kurt staring at him, his mouth open. He looked down at his shirt. Had he spilt coffee on it or something? Nope.

"What's wrong?" He asked, confused.

"N-nothing!" Kurt said, turning away. Blaine took his word for it and sat down. _8 hours of waiting finally paid off._

* * *

Kurt took a sip of his grande non-fat mocha (which Blaine had been kind enough to set aside for him) as he waited for Blaine to come back outside. What was taking him so – _wow._

Blaine had changed out of his work clothes, and he looked amazing. He was a white shirt with a grey cardigan and a pair of jeans that looked perfect on him. To top it off, he was wearing an adorable striped bow tie. Kurt didn't know how long he stared at him before Blaine asked, "What's wrong?"

He was caught. "N-nothing!" God, that was embarrassing. Blaine shrugged and sat down. He had a cup of coffee with him.

"What's your coffee order?" Kurt asked

"Medium drip." Blaine said, taking a sip.

"Really? I would have taken you for a cappuccino kind of guy."

"And why is that?"

"I really don't know. You know when you associate people with certain things and you just don't know why?" Kurt said, trying to explain.

Blaine nodded. "Like how I, for some reason, associate you with a kitten?"

Kurt snorted. "Probably because I'll be growing old alone with 8 of them."

"You? Grow old alone? _That_ I can't see."

Kurt blushed. "Or in the sense that I associate you with a puppy," He said, desperate to change the subject.

Blaine grinned. "What kind of puppy? An adorable one, I assume?"

"I'd say the personality of a Bernese mountain dog trapped in the body of a Chihuahua."

Blaine pressed a hand to his heart. "A Chihuahua? I'm not _that_ small!"

"Of course you aren't."

And like that, they went on, talking, and talking, and talking. At 5:30, Kurt checked his watch.

"Well, I'd best be going," He said.

"Aw, do you have to?" Blaine said, making puppy dog eyes.

Kurt laughed. "I wish I didn't have to. This was the best part of my day."

Blaine wrinkled his eyebrows. "Talking to me was the best part of your day? Wow, in that case you really need to get a life."

"It's not that my life isn't interesting, it's that you are. You're really special, you know," Kurt said. Blaine looked shocked. Had no one ever told him before? The silence got awkward, so Kurt said, "So, same time tomorrow?" Blaine smiled.

"I look forward to it." Blaine said with a grin.

Kurt smiled and left.

* * *

 _You're really special, you know…you're really special…he said I'm special…_

Blaine couldn't get Kurt's words out of his head. He thought he was special. Kurt thought that he, Blaine Anderson, practically loser of the year, was special. _Wow._

Wes came and sat down. "How'd it go, Blainey? Did you ask him out? Did you-"

"No, I did not profess my undying love for him, no I did not propose and no I did not suggest that we run away in to the country and elope because we are part of rival gangs that will never allow us to be together."

"…Well did you ask him out?"

"No."

Wes sighed. "Blaine, what is the best piece of advice I have ever given you about love?"

"Never make out with someone at the dinner table, at least not in front of their parents?"

"Other than that."

"Never use the pickup line 'if you were a potato, you'd be a good potato'?"

"Keep trying."

"Never tell a guy you like him, it makes you look like an idiot?"

"Exactly. Now, taking recent events in to consideration, I'm going to rephrase my brilliant advice."

Blaine raised an eyebrow. "Oh please, tell me how you will rephrase your oral masterpiece."

"Never tell a guy you like him, because it makes you look like an idiot, UNLESS the guy happens to be your soulmate LIKE THIS GUY CLEARLY IS."

"Why do you want us together so badly?" Blaine asked exasperatedly.

"Because I want you to be happy, and when you're with him, you look happier than you've ever been in the 6 years that I've known you."

Blaine stopped to think about that. Sure, he knew that Kurt made him happy, but was he the happiest he had ever been? He looked back on his life. Come to think about it, he couldn't remember the last time he had been really truly happy. He had been excited at times, or energetic, but most of the time he was angry, sad, lonely or drunk (usually a combination). Had his life really been that miserable up to this point? Was meeting Kurt a turning point in his life? What did this all mean? He turned back to Wes, but he was gone. He shook his head. _I'll think more when I get home._

* * *

Kurt walked home, mentally scolding himself.

 _Special? Really? Why'd you tell him he was special? Now he's going to figure out that you're attracted to him, and-_

He stopped in his tracks. Did he like Blaine? Like, _like_ him? _I mean, sure I think that he's really nice, and his hair looks so soft, and he's so funny and adorable, and his eyes are so gorgeous, and OH GOD his lips…_

Yep. He was _definitely_ attracted to him.

Now what?

He couldn't just ask him out, he barely knew him. What if he had a boyfriend? What if he just didn't see him in that way? And then there was the whole issue with Tim.

Kurt wanted to scream. He had said goodbye to Tim almost a year ago, yet the issues that they had had kept coming back to haunt him. He had absolutely no feelings for him anymore, but how it had ended still stuck with him. What if every guy was like that? What if every guy did that to him? What if-

 _No. Stop that._ He would take things with Blaine one step at a time. And he _would_ get over his issues in the past.

Kurt got home to find a frazzled Rachel trying to make…come to think of it, he had no idea what that thing in the bowl was. It was brown and lumpy and had little orange chunks in it.

He walked over to the kitchen. "Rachel, what the hell is that?"

"Shortbread cookies." She cracked an egg on the side of the bowl only to have bits of shell fall in to the lump. "Dammit." She reached her hand in to pull out the bits of eggshell when Kurt stopped her.

"Don't use your hands! Use a spoon!" He passed her a spoon. "God, you'd think that by now you'd have learned to crack an egg. Also, what are those little orange things?" _Please say sprinkles. Please say sprinkles…_

"Carrots. When I got home, I started watching Dr. Oz, and he said that carrots are good for losing weight," Rachel said, stirring the lump furiously.

"So…you put them in shortbread cookies?"

"One gets nowhere without experimenting."

"Other than the hospital," Kurt walked in to his room. He didn't want to be there when Rachel put that thing in the oven and it exploded. He would probably end up being the one who had to clean the carrot shortbread goop off the ceiling. He opened his laptop to check his favorite fashion blog when his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Blaine."

Kurt smiled. "And to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Just checking to see if we were still on for tomorrow," Blaine said on the other end.

"Yep. 4 o'clock, on the dot."

"Great!"

"Is there another reason you called?" Kurt asked.

"Nope. I just wanted to hear your voice."

Kurt blushed. "Well, I can only talk for a little bit, or else my phone bill will skyrocket."

"I would gladly pay it just to have the chance to talk to you for a little longer."

"Well…a few minutes won't hurt."

"That's the spirit!" Blaine exclaimed. Kurt could practically see his adorable grin. What was this boy doing to him?


	4. Chapter 4

"…And then they said 'Thank you for coming'. Can you believe that?" Kurt said angrily. He was recounting the story of the audition he had blown on the day he'd met Blaine (the 2nd time)

Blaine shook his head. "From what I've heard from you, they should have given you the part on the spot."

They had been meeting every day at the coffee shop for almost a month now, even when Blaine didn't have to work. And everyday Blaine noticed some adorable thing about Kurt he hadn't noticed before: the way his nose crinkled when he was in denial, the way he stuck the tip of his tongue when he thought really hard, the way the tips of his ears turned red when he was embarrassed. The list could go on for days.

"...and just because the guy read some stupid poem? Please!" Crap, he hadn't realized he was still talking. Blaine was too busy staring at those perfect lips… _snap out of it, Anderson!_

"You know, someday you're going to have to show me this supposedly amazing voice of yours," Blaine said, smiling.

"Oh trust me, I will. And you will be _blown away._ " Was it just Blaine, or did that sound slightly suggestive? Blaine's phone rang, snapping him out of his daze.

"Hello...okay, yes…I'll pick it up later…okay, bye" He hung up.

"Who was that?"

"The dry-cleaners. My suit is ready apparently."

Kurt raised his eyebrows. "And what do you need a suit for?"

"My cousin's wedding is in 2 days, and a few days ago I realized that my only suit had cake icing stains from the _last_ wedding I went to."

Kurt smiled. "You're going to a wedding?"

"I believe I just said that. I really don't wanna go, though."

"Why not? I love weddings!"

Blaine sighed. "I guess they just remind me of how lonely I am, and how I'm probably never going to see my wedding day."

"Don't be so hard on yourself! There's someone there for everyone, and he may be closer than you think." Kurt said. Blaine cracked a smile. _He may be closer than you think…_

"And why do you love weddings so much?" Blaine asked.

"I just love the idea of loving someone so much you're willing to say that you'll spend the rest of your life with them, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part," Kurt said with a glazed look in his eyes. "If my Broadway career doesn't pick up, I might just become a wedding planner."

Blaine grinned. "Really?"

"Really really. I actually planned my dad's wedding, and it turned out pretty well. I'd say I have a gift."

"Your parents are divorced?" It came out before he had a chance to think it through. Kurt's face told him that it was a mistake.

"No…um…my mom died when I was 8." He said quietly.

Blaine felt horrible. "Kurt, I'm really sorry…"

"Please, don't," Kurt said. "I got enough pity from people 15 years ago."

"Well, then I'm sorry for bringing it up. I didn't mean to pry."

"It's fine, really," Kurt said, waving his hands. "It was a long time ago."

"Then let me make it up to you. Be my date for the wedding."

Kurt's eyes bugged. "Your…date? Would I even be allowed in, seeing as I don't have an invitation?"

"I can pull some strings," Blaine said, winking. "So what do you say? Are you in?"

For a second Blaine was scared that he was going to say no. Then Kurt smiled and said, "It would be an honour." Blaine cheered internally. They agreed on the time before Kurt had to leave. By the time Wes got to the table, Blaine was grinning like an idiot.

"Oh my God, what happened? DID HE PROPOSE?"

"No, but I think I just asked him out."

Wes stared at him, unimpressed. "On another platonic coffee date? Well done, Blaine." He said sarcastically.

"No, I invited him to Rose's wedding on Saturday!"

"Did you use the word date?"

"I asked him if he'd _be_ my date."

Wes sat still for a few seconds before exploding in joy. "FINALLY! YOU FINALLY DID IT! GRANTED, IT'S NOT AN ACTUAL DATE, BUT IT'S A START! OH BLAINE THIS IS GOING TO BE AMAZING AND IM GOING TO HELP YOU PREPARE YOUR OUTFIT AND-"

"WES HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT TO YELL IN THE SHOP?" Blaine yelled, cutting him off.

"Well, it's a good thing I put up the 'closed' sign at 4 so that there was no one there to interrupt your little date because there's no one here."

"YOU CLOSED THE SHOP AT 4?"

"Um…"

"I give up. You're impossible." Blaine said exasperatedly.

"I can't be impossible; I exist! I think what you meant to say was 'I give up. You're improbable."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Bye, Wes."

* * *

Kurt opened the door to the apartment to find Rachel up on a stepladder scrubbing something off the ceiling. As soon as she saw him standing there, she stopped scrubbing and tried to hide the green stain.

"Um…hi, Kurt." She said nervously. "I was…um…trying to make a veggie smoothie for myself, and…I kind of forgot to put the lid on the blender…and the stain won't seem to come out." She winced, waiting for Kurt to explode. But surprisingly, he didn't.

"It's fine, Rach, we'll just put some paint over it. I'll do that tomorrow." Kurt said, taking off his shoes.

"I'll do it; it was my mistake," Rachel said, climbing down from the stepladder.

"No, no, it's fine, I have nothing to do tomorrow anyway," Kurt told her.

Rachel wrinkled her eyebrows. "What's got you in such a good mood? You should be chewing me out by now and threatening to kick me out."

"Why would I kick you out? We've been best friends since high school, I'm not that mean."

Now Rachel was _really_ confused. Kurt threatened to kick her out every week, even over little things like forgetting to put the cap back on the toothpaste. Then it came to her. "It's Blaine, isn't it? What happened?" She asked, running over to him.

Kurt turned beet red. "Nothing happened!" He said. Rachel stared at him. "Nothing big," He rephrased.

"Tell me, Kurt!" She begged, pulling them over to the couch.

Kurt took a breath. "He invited me to his cousin's wedding on Saturday…as his date." Rachel's jaw dropped.

"His _date_? Oh my God, Kurt, this is amazing!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Rachel, relax! It probably doesn't mean anything!" Kurt said.

"It doesn't mean anything? Of course it means something! He's willing to invite you to his – wait," Rachel said, pausing. "Do you want it to not mean anything?"

"Of course I want it to mean something! I want it to mean everything!" Kurt looked at Rachel, who was staring at him fixedly. "I mean – I…." He put his head in his hands and moaned. Rachel put her hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"You really like him, don't you?" She said gently. Kurt nodded, not lifting his head. "Honey, look at me." She tilted his head up. "Talk to me."

"I…I've never felt this strongly for anyone before, and I've only known him for a month! What's wrong with me, Rachel? I feel like I'm going crazy!" Kurt leant his head back and closed his eyes.

Rachel looked at him sympathetically. "Kurt, nothing's wrong with you. There's no right or wrong when it comes to love. And I can tell you right now that he wouldn't invite you to a wedding as his date if he didn't at least feel _something_ for you."

"But I don't want him to just feel _something_ for me. I want him to love me. I want him to love me as much as I think I love him."

Rachel's eyes widened. "You love him?"

"…I think so. I – no, this is stupid. I barely know him; how can I love him?" Kurt said exasperatedly.

"What do you feel when you're with him?" Rachel prompted.

"I feel…like I'm falling at 1000 miles per hour, falling into those perfect hazel eyes with no way of turning back…but I know that he's there to catch me."

Rachel smiled. "That sounds like the perfect definition of love."

"What should I do?" Kurt asked desperately.

"Well, from my experience in watching romance movies, the love you feel for him can only be felt for a soulmate. This boy could very well be the one. And if he is, you can rest assured he feels the same way."

Kurt sighed. "Rachel, life isn't one big romance movie."

"I know that. I also know that love is never that easy. Which is why I think the only thing you can do is listen to your heart."

"But what if it gives me the wrong advice?"

"I think you're just going to have to trust it to give you better advice than me. Cause other than that, I've got nothing."

Kurt laughed sadly. "Do you really think I should do this?"

"Yes, of course!" She took his hands. "If your heart says to tell him, then tell him. If it says don't tell him, keep quiet. If it tells you to pull him into a bathroom stall and have your way with him, so be it."

Kurt blushed down to his toes. "I'm not going to _have my way with him_!"

"But you want to, right?"

"Can we _please_ change the subject?"

Rachel laughed. "Alright. I think I'll let you cook tonight so we don't end up with scorch marks on the ceiling as well."

"You know, Rach, I really don't feel like cooking today. How about some takeout?"

"Thai it is!"

* * *

Blaine was having the weirdest dream. He was lying in bed and Wes was standing next to him, staring at him with a terrifying smile.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty!" Wes said, way too cheerfully. What was Wes doing in his dream? The last time Wes appeared in his dreams was when he was playing on an opposing Quidditch team.

"Up, up, up! It's Saturday! Today's the wedding!" What wedding? Who was he getting married to? _Please say Kurt…or Tom Felton._

"What's wrong with you Blaine? You're sleepwalking on me here!" Wes grabbed his arm and pulled him up. As soon as he was standing, Wes slapped him across the face.

"OW! The Dream version of you is mean…" Blaine said.

"What? Dream? What the hell are you going on about?" He asked, confused. Then it dawned on Blaine. If this was a dream, he would have woken up when Wes slapped him. That meant…

"How the hell did you get in?" Blaine yelled.

"Please. The lock on your door is broken. You're practically inviting psychopaths to break in."

"In that case, congratulations, you're the first of many."

Wes rolled his eyes. "Thank you, your Majesty. I am honoured that you consider your lowly best friend a crazy psychopath. Especially when he just broke into your apartment to help you."

"Do you hear yourself?"

"Shut up. We have to prep for your date!"

"It's not a date! It's just me taking my incredibly attractive friend to my cousin's wedding." Blaine said exasperatedly.

"Your friend that you loooove!" Wes said in a singsong voice. Blaine stayed silent. "Why are you so quiet? You should be saying 'I don't love him; I just think he's nice' or some other crap I know isn't true." He asked, confused.

"Because I'm not sure if I do," Blaine answered.

"Do what?"

"Love him."

Wes' eyes bugged. "Lemme get this straight: you think you might actually love him?"

"Maybe, I don't know. It just kind of came to me last night; that it might be a possibility. "

Wes nodded, attempting to stay calm. He pulled out his phone, hit speed dial number 2, put it on speaker and yelled, "DAVID!"

" _Yeah?_ " The voice on the other end said groggily. Blaine turned. Why was Wes calling his roommate?

"Blaine thinks he might love him!" Wes yelled into the phone.

" _Love who?_ " David asked. It was 7 in the morning; he couldn't handle Wes in the morning without at least his morning coffee.

"God, why is everyone so slow today? Kurt! He might love Kurt!" Wes said enthusiastically. There was silence on the other end, and then a crash as David dropped his coffee mug.

" _Seriously_?!"

"YES!" They started screaming happily. Blaine rolled his eyes.

"You told him?" Blaine asked.

"Of course I told him! He's my roomie, my bestie, my _amigo_! We tell each other everything!" Wes exclaimed.

"You also gossip like teenage girls."

" _I resent that! We just like to know what's going on in our friend's life, namely the fact that he may be in love with someone!"_ David clarified.

"I'm not sure if – look, this is stupid. I don't even know why I mentioned it. I don't love him; I've known him for a month!"

"SHUT UP. YES YOU DO." Wes yelled.

David took a calmer approach at getting Blaine to talk. " _What were you doing when you realized it was a possibility?_ "

Wes' eyes widened. "DO NOT ANSWER THAT BLAINE."

Blaine looked confused. "What do you – _oh._ " He proceeded to whack Wes in the head with a pillow. "Get your mind out of the gutter!"

"What? There is a completely logical possibility that you were ma- OUMPH!" He said as Blaine hit him in the face again to keep him from finishing that thought.

" _Moving on from that horrific image which has now been permanently burned into my brain,"_ David said, getting them off the topic. " _What were you actually doing? Assuming you weren't actually…you know."_

"I was NOT, thank you very much," Blaine said, annoyed. "I was watching something on TV."

"Ooh! Was it _The Notebook?_ " Wes asked hopefully.

No. It was a documentary about lung cancer on the Discovery Channel."

" _Lung cancer_ _reminds you of him? Oh, the romance is suffocating."_

"Oh! Were you thinking about how if you got a life-threatening illness you would want him to know that you love him?" Wes asked. Blaine stared at him. "What? I'm a hopeless romantic!"

" _Right. This is from the guy who assumed he was thinking of him while-"_

"ANYWAYS," Blaine said, interrupting. "I was watching, and I got bored after the first 15 minutes. So mind wandered off and I started thinking about Kurt – that happens a lot these days."

"AWWW," They both said in unison. Blaine glared.

"So I started thinking about my…feelings…and how I'd never felt that way about someone else before. How this is so much more than just a crush. I'm sure of it. Then it came to me. The fact that I might actually love him. And I know it sounds stupid, but when I'm with him, I feel like the world could disappear and I wouldn't even care as long as I had him with me. Whether it be as a friend, a best friend or a boyfriend, I really don't care. One way or another, I want him in my life. And as long as he's with me…I feel like it's all going to be alright."

His friends' eyes widened. They had heard their friend be deep before, but that had been with his only serious boyfriend, who had turned out to be a cheating asshole. That had been the only time that they had seen him actually be in love. But looking at Blaine now, talking about Kurt like that…it was so much more than what he had felt for Jonathan. They could see it in his eyes.

A comfortable silence hung in the air before David broke it by yelling, " _BLAINEY, THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL!_ "

Blaine rolled his eyes. "I knew you guys would act like this if I told you."

"Don't listen to him, Blaine. He's just being his immature self." Wes explained.

" _Oh,_ _ **I'm**_ _immature? You're the one who still makes love stories out of your Power Rangers!"_

"Look, the Red Ranger and the Blue Ranger are soulmates, dammit! And that Yellow Ranger that keeps getting in the way…anyways. Blaine, what we meant to say was that we're glad you've found someone who can make you smile again."

Blaine grinned. "Thanks, guys. Annoying as you may be, you actually are good friends."

" _Aw, stop, I'm blushing."_

"Now c'mon, Wes! You have to help me pick out my outfit for my date!" Blaine exclaimed.

"Right behind you! I'll call you later, David!" He yelled, hanging up the phone. Blaine smiled at his two idiot friends. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Kurt threw yet another outfit from his closet on to the floor. "I have NOTHING to wear!" He yelled, staring at the mountain of clothes behind him. Rachel walked in, concerned.

"What's wrong, hun?" She asked.

"I have nothing to wear!" Kurt repeated, gesturing to the pile of rejected outfits. "I have nothing that says 'we're friends and we haven't known each other for too long but I think I might be in love with you and you're taking me to your cousin's wedding which is giving me butterflies in my stomach whenever I think about it'! No, screw butterflies, more like pigeons!"

Rachel stared at him. "I don't think anyone has an outfit that says all that."

"You know what I mean! Now help me find something!" Kurt yelled. Blaine was coming to pick him up in 2 hours and he wasn't even close to ready yet!

"Do you have something in mind?" Rachel asked.

"Well, I was thinking maybe something like this," Kurt said, picking up an outfit he had off to the side. Rachel stared at it, pursed her lips and shook her head. "No?" Kurt asked, worried.

"I think it looks like you're trying too hard," Rachel explained. "It's too many colours and accessories in one outfit. Here," She said, digging through Kurt's vast closet for what she was looking for before throwing her selections on the bed. "Try that on."

Kurt furrowed his eyebrows. "Really?" He asked, staring at what she had chosen.

"Yes! It's simple, it's elegant, and I can assure you that you will look so hot he will start drooling as soon as he sees you."

Kurt sighed. "Fine." He walked into the bathroom and put on the clothes Rachel had picked out for him. He had to admit, they did look better than what he had planned out. When he came out, Rachel's jaw dropped.

'Damn," she said, nodding in approval. As Kurt walked in to his bedroom and looked in the full-length mirror (as opposed to the smaller one in the bathroom), he realized what she meant. He was wearing tight black dress pants, a white long-sleeved collared shirt, a black vest and a black tie with hearts on it. He even remembered wearing this very outfit during Valentine's Day of his senior year, except with denim jeans. Rachel walked up and rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, which for some reason made the outfit look even better.

"Perfect," she said, admiring her masterpiece. After Kurt finished sculpting his hair to perfection, they sat down in the living room and watched pointless daytime television for a while. Suddenly, Kurt looked at his watch and realized it was 11:40. Blaine was supposed to be here in 20 minutes! He jumped up.

"Oh my God, it's almost time…" He mumbled as he paced back and forth. Rachel looked up.

"Relax, it'll be fine…" She said, standing up as she tried to calm him down.

"Remember those pigeons in my stomach? Well, now it's like someone gave them access to a lethal combination of coffee and Red Bull, and now they're flapping around in there, hopped up on caffeine! Rachel, I'm panicking, what do I do?"

"Calm down, it's all right!" She said, sitting him back down

"No, it's not all right! I'm going to end up tripping down the stairs as we walk to his car, or I'm going to…sneeze in his face or something! Oh God, Rachel, what am I doing? I can't do this!"

"Shh, Kurt, it's okay!" Rachel said, taking his hands. "Just remember what I told you last night. If he catches you starting at him…"

* * *

"…don't turn away, because it will keep you in the friendzone until the end of time. Grin at him and/or wink, because it will make me look cool," Blaine said, reciting what Wes had explained t him last night. "I don't even know why I'm taking advice from you. You are the last person who should be giving advice on relationships and looking cool."

"Hey! I'm plenty cool!" Wes said, offended. "Now, concerning relationships, I may have to agree."

"Your last relationship ended when you unknowingly invited _all 3_ of your girlfriends to karaoke night at the coffee shop and they all ran in to you at the same time. You have absolutely _no_ place to give advice."

"On how to keep relationships, maybe, but I am an expert on getting them started! Now let's keep going, you have to leave in 5 minutes! If he takes your hand…

* * *

"…squeeze his hand back, so that he knows I like it. This is stupid, Rachel, do you really think this advice will help?" Kurt said, frustrated. Blaine should be arriving any minute now!

"Absolutely. I am an expert at love."

"Rachel, you've been going on-and-off with Finn for 6 years, and for maximum 3 months at a time. I don't think that counts as 'expert at love'."

"Shut up. Anyways, if he-" She was cut off by a knock at the door. He was here! They both ran up to the door, and then paused.

"Should I answer?" Rachel whispered.

"I don't know! I think I should, because I'm the one he's here to see!"

"But if I answer, then you can hide in your room and come out all Cinderella-like!"

"I don't want to look like Cinderella right now! I want to answer the door!"

"Um, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I really don't care who answers the door as long as I'm not stuck waiting for another 15 minutes," Blaine said from the other side. Kurt pushed Rachel aside and opened the door, blushing furiously.

"Um, hi."


	5. Chapter 5

Blaine popped his head out behind a bouquet of roses. "'Ello!" He said in a British accent. Kurt chuckled.

"You dork." Blaine handed him the flowers. "Oh, are these for me?" Kurt asked, taking the colourful roses. He buried his nose in them. "Mmm, thank you! And how did you remember my favourite colours are red and yellow?"

"Oh, I remember everything about you, Mr. Hummel," Blaine said with a grin. "And that did not sound creepy at all," He added sarcastically.

Rachel pushed Kurt aside and walked up to Blaine, brushing her bangs out of her eyes and extending her hand. "You must be Blaine. Hi, I'm-"

"Rachel Berry?" Blaine asked. When Rachel looked confused, he answered "Kurt just will not stop talking about you and how crazy you are."

"Oh really?" Rachel said, giving Kurt a death glare. "Well, I guess I could say the same for you."

"Kurt thinks I'm crazy?"

"No, he just won't stop talking about you."

"Okay, we'd better be going!" Kurt said loudly to change the subject.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for a cup of coffee, Blaine?" Rachel asked as Kurt put on his shoes. "I really would like to get to know you. And there is still so much you should know about Kurt," She said mischievously. Kurt glared at her behind Blaine's back.

"I would love to Rachel, I really would, but as Kurt said we really should be going," Blaine said politely.

"Well, it's been lovely meeting you, Blaine," Rachel said, disappointed that she had lost the opportunity to further embarrass her roommate.

"Likewise." Kurt rolled his eyes. Blaine was so dapper around strangers.

Rachel leaned in to hug Kurt, and whispered, "Call me crazy one more time."

"Crazy," he whispered back.

"You know, Blaine, Kurt sleeps with his _Vogue_ magazines when he gets lonely. They're like his teddy bears. Some people have stuffed animals, he has fashion magazines." She exclaimed to a very confused Blaine.

"Let's go before she reveals anything else about me," Kurt said, grabbing Blaine's hand and dragging him out the door.

"HE ALSO LOVES Y-" Rachel yelled before Kurt slammed the door. They were walking towards the elevator before Kurt realized that they were still holding hands. He let go immediately, blushing, but Blaine took his hand again. Then he smiled, which made Kurt's heart melt in to a puddle of goo. _What is this boy doing to me?_

They held hands all the way down to where Blaine's car was waiting, when they reluctantly let go. They climbed in and buckled in. It wasn't long before Blaine said, "So, Rachel…she really did seem crazy."

Kurt laughed. "Oh, that's nothing. Wait until you actually get to know her. She is certifiably _insane._ I don't know Finn puts up with her."

"What _is_ the deal with her and your brother? You've mentioned it in passing, but never in detail." Blaine asked, intrigued.

Kurt sighed. "Now _that's_ a long story."

"We have time."

"Fine, if you insist. They were high school sweethearts, for starters. She was always Broadway-bound, so he followed her here to keep her from breaking up with him after graduation. She ended up dumping him anyways, for some guy named Brody at NYADA. He ended up cheating on her just a few months in to their relationship, several times. She was devastated. So she went to the only person who could make her feel better: Finn. This lead to the first of their many make-ups. It's kind of a cycle: he does something stupid, she dumps him, he's heartbroken, she dates someone else, she gets heartbroken, they get back together, repeat."

Blaine was shocked. "Wow. What a dysfunctional relationship."

"You got that right. And since she's my roommate and he's my stepbrother, I'm the one that has to listen to _the rant._ "

"The rant?" Blaine asked.

"Mhm. From Finn, it's usually 'Oh, why did I have to stare at that girl's butt when Rachel was around? I'm such an idiot. I'm a complete failure as a boyfriend and a human. I don't deserve her', yada, yada, yada. From Rachel it's usually 'How could he do this to me? I trusted him, and he pulls something like this? It's eye adultery! I'm his girlfriend; _my_ ass is the only one his eyes should be on!' Blah, blah, blah, something about her being through with him for good."

Blaine chuckled. "Stories like that make me thankful I don't have a roommate."

"I'm still surprised you can afford a 2-bedroomed New York apartment on your own." Kurt stated. "Why don't you have a roommate, anyways? You never talk about it. "

"It's kind of a long story."

"We have time." Blaine smiled.

"Well, when I first came to New York, I roomed with a buddy of mine. We'd been friends since we were kids, but we'd kind of lost touch in high school. So when we found out we were both going to NYC, we figured we should get reacquainted. He was teaching at a fancy dance studio in Brooklyn, and I was working at the coffee shop, so he took care of most of the rent. He actually started getting famous at the studio. He became one of the most prestigious dance teachers in the city. Two years ago, he got a phone call, asking him if he wanted to open his _own_ dance studio in Chicago. At first he wasn't sure, because he didn't want to leave me paying all the rent, what with my job as a barista, but I convinced him that I could handle myself. I couldn't have him give up this opportunity because I needed him to pay for our apartment. So he and his long time girlfriend moved to Chicago, and I stayed here. We Skype every now and then, and he always offers me money, but I lie and tell him I'm not drowning in my debt."

Kurt was surprised. "Why don't you take the money?"

"Because it would make me feel like a failure, like I can't take care of myself! Why can't I take care of myself? I'm a grown man; I should be able to provide for myself with something other than a job at a local coffee shop!" He pounded his fist on the steering wheel. "Look, I'm sorry, Kurt, it's just that…some nights I have to choose between eating a decent meal or having water to shower with, or light to read by. And I just feel so helpless. If I took his money, or anyone else's, it'd feel like giving up."

"But Blaine, it wouldn't be giving up! It would be accepting help from your friends who are clearly willing to give it to you! You don't have to do this alone. Which is why," Kurt took a breath. "Sometime this month, I'm going to come to your apartment, help you sort through your bills and we'll work something out."

"Kurt, you don't have to-"

"Yes, I do," Kurt interrupted. "I have an obligation as your friend to help you when you're in trouble, and that is exactly what I intend to do."

Blaine smiled. "Thank you, Kurt. I – I'm really glad I met you."

Kurt took in a sharp breath. "I'm glad I met you too."

After a pause, Kurt asked "So what was his name?"

"Whose name?"

"Your ex-roommate! He sounds familiar for some reason." Kurt explained.

"Oh, his name was Mike. Mike Chang."

Kurt's jaw dropped. "No way. You roomed with Mike Chang? Dancing Asian Mike Chang?"

Blaine nodded. "Yeah. Have you heard of him?"

"I went to high school with him! We were in glee club together!" Kurt exclaimed.

"Really?"

"Yeah! So was his girlfriend, Tina! Oh my God, I haven't talked to him in such a long time! I'm calling him up tonight and I'm going to yell at him for not introducing us sooner."

Blaine laughed, and then became serious. "But don't tell him anything about my…money issues."

Kurt sighed. "Fine. But I won't lie if he asks."

"Fair enough."

They stayed in silence for a while before Kurt said, "Let's liven up the atmosphere. Do you want some music?" Blaine nodded. Kurt turned on the radio to find it on a CD. The last lines of a song he knew too well rang from the car's speakers.

 _But to cry in front of you…,  
That's the worst thing I could do…_

"Grease?"

Blaine blushed. "Yeah…um…I like to sing along."

Kurt did recall Blaine mentioning that he liked to perform gigs at bars and restaurants. "Well, I never have heard you sing," He said. He heard the opening to the next song and grinned. "Sing this one!"

"What? I can't-"

"Sing!"

Blaine smiled and sang along.

 _I got chills  
They're multiplying  
And I'm losing control  
'Cause the power you're supplying  
It's electrifying!_

Kurt's jaw dropped. Blaine had an amazing voice. It was almost rival to his own. Blaine pointed to him, gesturing for him to sing the next part. Kurt laughed, and continued the song.

 _You better shape up  
'Cause I need a man  
And my heart is set on you  
You better shape up  
You better understand  
To my heart I must be true  
Nothing left  
Nothing left for me to do_

They both sang the chorus.

 _You're the one that I want  
Oo-oo-oo, honey  
The one that I want  
Oo-oo-oo, honey  
The one that I want  
Oo-oo-oo, the one I need  
Oh, yes indeed_

Anyone driving by must have thought they were crazy. They were dancing in their seats, singing at the top of their lungs, pointing at each other flirtatiously. Since Kurt had basically been established as singing Sandy's part, he sang the next verse.

 _If you're filled  
With affection  
You're too shy to convey  
Better take my direction  
Feel your way_

 _I better shape up  
'Cause you need a man  
(I need a man)  
Who can keep me satisfied  
I better shape up  
If I'm gonna prove  
(You better prove)  
That my faith is justified  
Are you sure  
Yes I'm sure down deep inside_

 _You're the one that I want  
Oo-oo-oo, honey  
The one that I want  
Oo-oo-oo, honey  
The one that I want  
Oo-oo-oo, the one I need  
Oh, yes indeed_

 _You're the one that I want!_

When the song finished, they were just staring at each other. They continued until Blaine broke eye contact to swerve to the left so as to avoid rear-ending a Mustang in front of them whose driver was letting out a stream of colorful insults. Once they were safely out of earshot, they laughed for a good solid minute.

Kurt wiped tears from his eyes as he said, "You'd make a pretty good Danny, you know."

Blaine chuckled. "You wouldn't be a bad Sandy yourself."

"Oh, I don't know about that. This body was not made to wear a catsuit."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Kurt blushed approximately 16 shades of red. Luckily, the church came in to view just then. They pulled in to the parking lot and climbed out of the car. As they walked towards the church, Blaine grabbed his hand. Kurt was being constantly pleasantly surprised with all this hand holding.

When they were inside, Blaine went around introducing Kurt as his friend to several relatives (while still holding his hand). Kurt felt he was getting a lot of mixed signals. Blaine had been flirting with him all the time since they had met, and just today he had brought him flowers, sang a duet with him _and_ was constantly holding his hand. And yet they were still just friends. _Boys,_ Kurt thought to himself.

Just then, Blaine's phone rang, and he left to answer it. Now Kurt was left in a room full of strange people. He passed the time by plotting weekend outfits before a hand tapped on his shoulder. He turned around to find a short man with curly red hair not much older than himself staring at him.

"You're Kurt, right? You came with Blaine?" He asked.

Kurt raised his eyebrows. "Yes. And you are…"

"I'm Anthony, his other cousin. Brother of the bride," The man said. "Blaine's told me all about you. He won't shut up about you."

Kurt blushed lightly. "Really?"

'Really really. He won't shut up about you." Kurt smiled. Anthony continued. "So you and Blaine, huh? You two must be pretty serious if he's bringing you to Rose's wedding."

Kurt's eyes widened. "Oh, no, we're not together."

"But you want to be," He stated as Kurt's cheeks flushed. "I can see it in the way you look at him. Like he's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen." There was a terse pause. "I'm not wrong, am I?"

"About me wanting us together or him being the most beautiful thing I've ever seen?" Kurt asked.

"Both."

Kurt laughed sadly. "In regards to the second question, he's the most beautiful thing I'll _ever_ see. As for wanting us to be together…I don't know."

Anthony raised his eyebrows. "You don't know?"

Kurt shook his head. "He's perfect. He's everything I want, everything I need. My heart is saying yes, but for some reason my head says no."

The other man nodded. "Look, as a complete stranger, I don't have much of a place to be giving you relationship advice. But I will say this: Blaine has been lonely for a really long time. He's only ever had one long-term relationship, and it didn't end well. Mostly because the jackass never loved him, or cared about him really. And I know that he's been looking for someone like you forever. Someone who looks at him the way you do, who talks about him the way you do, who cares about him the way you do. I've had to watch him be hurt and heartbroken by people who thought it was okay to use him. And I can see it in your eyes that you would do anything for him, anything to keep that smile on his face."

Kurt nodded, and Anthony continued.

"So I think it's good that he has someone like you in his life. Because from what he's told me, you're the first person in a long time that's been able to make him feel like he's worth something. So…thank you." He stuck out his hand, which Kurt promptly shook. "But I'm warning you, if you hurt him in any way, I will come and find you and I will kick your ass."

Kurt laughed. "I have no intention of hurting him, but if for some reason I do, you have full permission to bury me alive in a pit of snakes." From what Kurt had heard, Blaine didn't have a very good relationship with his parents, so he was glad that he at least had a cousin who cared about him. He looked around and furrowed his eyebrows. Blaine had been gone for a while…

* * *

Blaine walked in to a deserted hallway with his phone when he heard it ringing. He checked the screen and saw that it was Wes. Why was he not surprised?

"Hello?" He said.

" _Have you kissed him yet?"_ Wes asked on the other end.

"What? No!" Blaine said, confused.

A cacophony of voices started shouting. " _Dammit!"_ " _I told you, Wes!" "That'll be $50," "I called it," "Shut up, Trent!" "It's going to be after, mark my words," "No way. It's totally gonna be during the reception," "44, 45, 46…" "I'm upping the stakes! I'll bet $100 on it being during!" "Shut up, Jeff, that's our rent money!" "48, 49, 50 dollars…" "Don't throw the money at me, Wes!" "You're all gonna lose. I_ _ **know**_ _I'm right!"_ Blaine's jaw dropped.

"You're all betting on whether or not we're going to kiss?" He asked incredulously.

" _No…we're betting on_ _ **when**_ _you're going to kiss. Trent and I said before the wedding, Nick, Jeff and Thad said during the reception, and David, Jon and Flint said after the reception."_

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Are all of you there in your apartment?"

" _Nah, this is like an eight-way phone call. Anyways, what development has gone down? I may be able to salvage what's left of my pride if there was any fondling of sorts."_

Blaine sighed heavily. "Well, I indirectly told him he would look good in a catsuit, à la Sandy Olsen."

Silence on the other end. It was David's voice that said, " _Well, I see you're going for the creepy pervert approach. Not my first choice, but effective. You know…if he likes that_."

"I was not being creepy! We were in the car singing "You're the one that I want" _-_ "

" _Nick, look, I'm getting cavities from the sweetness."_

"And then-"

" _Lemme guess,"_ Wes interrupted. " _He said you'd make a good Danny, you said he'd make a good Sandy, he said he wouldn't look good in a catsuit and you said otherwise."_

"…maybe."

" _Blaine, if there were anymore sexual tension between you two you'd be able to cut it with a knife."_

"I know, I know!" Blaine said, throwing his arms in the air. "Which is why I was thinking…maybe I should tell him…how I feel."

The screams that erupted from the ex-Warblers were unnatural. Various shouts of "YES!" and "TELL HIM BLAINERS!" and "I'M STARTING THE WEDDING PLANNING _IMMEDIATELY!"_ were heard before the call was cut off. Blaine looked down at his phone, confused, before realizing it was out of battery. He'd have to charge it in the car later. He walked back to where everyone else was and saw his cousin Anthony talking to Kurt. He grinned and walked over.

"So, Kurt, I see you've met my insane cousin. I hope he didn't scare you too much," He said, grinning. Kurt shook his head and chuckled. Blaine turned towards Anthony and said, "Hey, buddy. Long time no see. You weren't hitting on my friend here, were you?"

Anthony laughed. "Nope. Straight as a ruler, I am."

Blaine pressed a hand to his forehead as though remembering something. "Oh! Right! I forgot that you," He used air quotations. "Have a girlfriend."

"Hey! I resent the fact that I am anything other than blatantly and obviously heterosexual."

"Oh, I'm not questioning your perceivable straightness; I'm simply questioning the fact that you could get a girl to like you." Blaine said bluntly.

Anthony pretended to be offended. "C'mon, I'm funny, romantic, wealthy…oh wait. I look like the ginger version of you. That must be why I have such a hard time."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that I am actually quite desirable amongst the ladies, which would be an advantage if I were interested."

"Oh! Right! I forgot!" Anthony said, mimicking Blaine's earlier actions. "You're gay as the Fourth of July!"

"And don't you forget it!" Blaine said, punching his cousin his on the shoulder. Kurt laughed at the playful banter between the two cousins. It reminded him of his relationship with Finn. After a bit more idle chitchat, the ushers came in and took them to their seats. Then the wedding officially started.

The bridesmaids were wearing long gold dresses, and the groomsmen were wearing black tuxedos with gold bowties. Anthony was one of them. Blaine leaned in and whispered in to his ear, "I was asked to be a groomsman, but I didn't want to draw too much attention to my being here, so I said no." Kurt was about to ask what he meant by that when the bride walked in.

Kurt's breath caught in his throat. She looked beautiful! Her dress had a tight bodice and a poufy skirt with a train that was long, but not so long that it was obnoxious. She had dark curly hair and hazel eyes. She looked almost exactly like Blaine. Come to think of it, almost everyone here had dark curly hair and hazel eyes, save Anthony. Must be the Anderson genes.

The groom was stereotypically handsome. He was tall and muscular, with brown eyes and a toothy smile. They were both very good-looking, but the way that they looked at each other made them ten times more beautiful. Kurt wondered if someone would ever look at him that way. He turned and saw Blaine smiling at him. He blushed.

"We are gathered here today to join in holy matrimony…"

Kurt felt a slight pressure on his hand. He looked down and saw that Blaine was holding it again. He smiled. He liked the way Blaine held his hand. When Tim held his hand, it was in a very protective way, like he didn't want Kurt to stray from his side. When Blaine holds his hand, it's as though he's trying to say 'I'm here for you. You can always hold on to me.'

As the wedding continued, it was finally time to say the vows. The groom (whose name Blaine had mentioned was Andrew) cleared his throat and said, "Rose, when I first saw you…"

Kurt's mind drifted off as he pictured his own wedding. Rachel would be the maid of honor, and Finn would be the best man. He would wear a tailored black tuxedo that highlighted all of his best assets. It would be in late April, so that is was pleasantly warm, but not so much that everyone was sweating the whole time. His father would walk him down the aisle, tears in his eyes as the organ played and he handed his son to a handsome, faceless stranger at the altar. He wondered if it was Blaine.

He snapped back in to reality as Rose finished her end of the vows. Kurt sat up straight. This was his favorite part of weddings.

"Do you, Andrew Philippe LaBois, take Rose Julie Anderson to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," He said as he slipped the ring on to her finger.

"And do you, Rose Julie Anderson take Andrew Philippe LaBois to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"Then by the power vested in me by the state of New York, I know pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

They shared a kiss, and all of the guests clapped. Anthony actually wolf-whistled from the altar (to general amusement). As the newly wedded husband and wife walked back down the aisle, the rest of the guests stood up, as did Kurt and Blaine. They walked back to the car to drive to the reception, which was a 20-minute drive from the church. As he buckled his seat belt, Kurt remembered what he had wanted to ask Blaine.

"Blaine?" He asked.

"Hmm?"

"Why did you say that you didn't want to draw attention to your being at the wedding?"

Blaine smiled grimly. "I don't think most of my family would be too thrilled to see me here. They'd probably think I would 'poison' the newlyweds with my gayness."

"They don't accept you?"

Blaine put the car in reverse and began explaining. "Let me start by saying this: the Anderson family is made up of very wealthy bankers. We have a very good reputation to uphold as the rich family who could do no wrong. Well…I was where they went wrong. You see, our ignorance has been handed down from generation to generation. My great-grandparents were from a time when being different was practically illegal, and that's what they believed: that being different is wrong, and we must all conform for society to function. So that's what my grandparents were taught, and that's what my parents were taught. And you can imaging their shock when they found out their precious son, heir to the family fortune after my brother ran off to become an actor, was gay. Let's just say it didn't go over too well."

"I came out to them when I was eighteen. It was a few weeks before I graduated high school. I was heading to New York at the end of the summer to take a gap year before going to university. I had figured that I might as well tell them before leaving. I mean, they had loved me for eighteen years already; they couldn't just stop now, right? I couldn't have been more wrong."

He let out a shaky laugh. "My dad went ballistic. He threw a chair at me, and my mum just sat at the table, crying about how this couldn't be happening to them. My dad kept yelling about how it was just a phase, and mom suggested that I see a therapist so that I could 'sort myself out'. I told them that this is who I am, and it's not changing, so they threw me out." Kurt gasped. "It wouldn't have mattered if they hadn't; I would have left anyways. I can't stay in an environment where I'm not accepted. I stayed at Wes' house during the summer. And when I got to New York…well, it's a good thing I had paid for my plane ticket back in March, because all of my bank accounts were frozen. Even my university fund."

Kurt was shocked. He knew that not all parents were as accepting as his dad, but he couldn't imagine Blaine's parents kicking him out and cutting off his access to their fortune, leaving him helpless because of who he is. Blaine went on.

"And that's where my money issues started. They're the reason I never went to university. They're the reason I sometimes have to eat my frozen dinners by candlelight, in an apartment without any water to wash the dishes with. Luckily, I had Mike as a roommate for the first few years, so that made things a little easier. And at least now I'm in a place where people accept me, and there's a lot less ignorance than at home. And even though the older generations don't accept me, the people around my age like Rose and Anthony do. And hopefully they'll pass that on to their kids, who will pass that on to their kids, and soon that awful great-uncle of mine who keeps saying that I run around spreading AIDS will be nothing but a hazy memory in the history of the Anderson family's bigotry. Things will get better."

Kurt put his hand over Blaine's on the gear shift. "I know they will. You have Rose, and Anthony…and I'll always be there for you. Always."

Blaine smiled, and said, "Good, because I really care about you, Kurt. And I don't think I could stand losing you."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that. I'm not going anywhere," Kurt said gently.

"Promise?"

Kurt was taken aback by the thought that he would be anywhere other than by Blaine's side.

"I promise."

Blaine paused before asking, "How did we end up being each other's support system in such a short time?"

Kurt laughed that beautiful laugh that sounded like wind chimes. "I guess we were both just looking for someone who really understands us, someone with whom we could let our guard down. And…I think I found that with you."

Blaine squeezed his hand. "I think I found that too."

They continued driving for a few more minutes, Kurt's hand never leaving Blaine's on the gear shift. When they got out of the car, they didn't hold hands, and even though Kurt was disappointed, he understood. At the reception, they were seated at a table with four other people, one of them being Anthony, who was sitting next to Blaine. The other three were introduced as Anthony's younger sister Jessica, and friends of the family Judy and Michael. The band that played was fine, nothing really special. The food was good. Everything was going fine until the band decided to do "Surprise Karaoke", where they would pick 3 guests at random to come on stage and sing a solo for everyone. The first was a drunken uncle of Blaine's, who did a very slurred version of "Baby Got Back". The second was Blaine's seventeen year old niece, who had a decent voice and sang Taylor Swift's "Mine". The spotlight started going around the room to find the third victim, and it landed on…Kurt.

He felt like a deer caught in the headlights. Why him of all people? He wasn't even a part of the family! Oh God, and now he had to sing in front of everyone and introduce himself to Blaine's family and they would all think that there was something going on between him and Blaine when there _wasn't_ and Blaine would get all the dirty looks and… _Breathe, Kurt,_ a voice in his head told him.

The "winners" (more like tributes) were given 5 minutes outside to prepare a song. When Kurt was sure he was alone, he whipped out his phone and hit speed dial #1.

"Hey Kurt! How's your date going?" Rachel asked. At this time on a Saturday night she was probably curled up on the couch watching "Funny Girl" for the 82nd time.

"Rachel! I need your help!" He quickly explained the situation. "What do I do? I can't pick a love song, because they'll think I'll be singing it to him, and I can't pick something-"

"Too gay," Rachel said, finishing his thoughts. "Hmm…maybe you could do "Not the Boy Next Door"."

"Gold pants?" Kurt reminded her.

"Right, rights…how about "I'm the Greatest Star"?"

"That doesn't even merit an answer." Kurt replied. "Think, Rachel! I'm running out of time!"

"Umm…what about "Being Alive"?"

Kurt froze. "Yes," he said. It was perfect! "It's simple, not too romantic, and it's about exactly what I'm feeling right now! Rachel, you're a genius!"

"I have my moments," She said smugly. "Now, go practice with what little time you have left!"

With the remaining two minutes, he quickly went over the lyrics I his head and hummed the melody to get himself in the zone. By the time the guy came back to look for him, he was as ready as he'd ever be.

* * *

Blaine was worried. When he went on stage, Kurt would probably have to introduce himself and mention that Blaine had brought him, which would redirect everyone's attention towards Blaine, highlighting the fact that he was here with a boy. And then there was Kurt…he would probably get some of the negative stares too. And then they would probably get hateful looks for the rest of the night and he will have put Kurt through all that, and oh God why did I have to be him that was chosen?

He was just starting to hyperventilate when Kurt stepped on to the stage. He looked around nervously before saying, "Hello…my name is Kurt Hummel. I'm not a member of the family, but I came here with my friend Blaine." Silence. Blaine could practically hear the crickets. It was awkward. "Well…um…today I'm going to be singing for you one of my favorite songs. I never really understood it, but now…I think I do."

Blaine recognized the piano as soon as it started.

 _Someone to hold you too close,  
Someone to hurt you too deep,  
Someone to sit in your chair,  
To ruin your sleep._

Blaine's jaw dropped. He sounded amazing. He had the voice of an angel. He looked around the room and saw mostly indifference, but a few people had stunned looks on their faces. Namely Anthony, whose eyebrows were raised so high they appeared to have disappeared in to his red hair. _He's good,_ he mouthed. Blaine nodded.

 _Someone to need you too much,  
Someone to know you too well,  
Someone to pull you up short  
To put you through hell._

Blaine felt something stir in the pit of his stomach. Something that made his insides warm and his heart flutter.

 _Someone you have to let in,  
Someone whose feelings you spare,  
Someone who, like it or not,  
Will want you to share  
A little, a lot._

He wasn't sure what it was, but he was sure that he wanted to spend every day, every hour, every minute with Kurt Hummel. Holding him, touching him, kissing him…

 _Someone to crowd you with love,  
Someone to force you to care,  
Someone to make you come through,  
Who'll always be there,  
As frightened as you  
Of being alive,_

…Loving him…

 _Being alive,  
Being alive,  
Being alive_

He wanted to be that person for Kurt. He wanted to be the one who holds him too close and hurts him to deep.

 _Somebody, sit in my chair  
And ruin my sleep  
And make me aware  
Of being alive,  
Being alive_

He was perfect.

 _Somebody, need me too much,  
Somebody, know me too well,  
Somebody, pull me up short  
And put me through hell  
And give me support  
For being alive,  
Make me alive,  
Make me alive,_

What was happening to him? Why was he so moved by this? Why was Anthony staring at him knowingly? Then it hit him.

 _Make me confused,  
Mock me with praise,  
Let me be used,  
Vary my days.  
But alone is alone, not alive…_

"I'm in love with Kurt Hummel," he said out loud. No one really heard him. They were all too busy staring in awe at the boy singing his heart out on that stage.

 _Somebody, crowd me with love,  
Somebody, force me to care,  
Somebody, let me come through,  
I'll always be there,  
As frightened as you,  
To help us survive  
Being alive,  
Being alive,  
Being alive!_

When the song ended, Kurt had a single tear trailing down his cheek. Everyone was silent. Then they all stood up and gave him a standing ovation. There were cheers and wolf-whistles and the clapping was deafening. Blaine was standing and clapping with the biggest smile of all. Kurt smiled nervously, curtsied and left the stage. When he came back to the table, people were still cheering. Not caring who was watching, Blaine got up and hugged him, holding him close, breathing in the scent of the boy he loved. He smelled like freesia and apples and sunlight.

He wasn't sure how long they stood there, holding each other. Bu he knew that when they broke apart, he felt as though a part of his heart had been taken from him.

And for the rest of the night, he did not let go of Kurt's hand.


	6. Chapter 6

Kurt didn't even really remember singing. He remembered stepping on to the stage, awkwardly introducing himself, the music starting…and then deafening applause. He had been so lost in the music he didn't even remember opening his mouth. He remembered being terrified that everyone was going to judge him or think poorly of him, but all he saw were people cheering for him. And then there was Blaine. When he had stood on stage, he saw Blaine with a terrified expression on his face. And now...he looked like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. He curtsied and ran back into the room, where Blaine gave him a hug so big he thought he would choke. But he liked it.

The band started playing again after that, and people started going on to the dance floor to do the "electric slide" and stuff like that. Pretty soon the only people at the table were Kurt, Blaine and Anthony. It was a little weird, because Blaine wouldn't stop staring at him and Anthony was grinning like an idiot. They chatted for a while before the lead singer of the band walked up to the mic.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for the waltz. Grab a lady or a fella and join the lovely bride and groom on the dance floor for the first slow dance of the night."

Anthony went to ask one of the bridesmaids to dance, leaving Kurt and Blaine alone at the table.

"Um…so the fish is good, right?" Kurt said, trying to break the awkward atmosphere that now surrounded them.

Blaine laughed. "Shut up and dance with me, Hummel," He said, extending a hand.

Kurt stumbled around trying to find the right words before saying, "It would be an honour," and taking his hand. They walked towards the dance floor together. Blaine put his right hand on Kurt's waist, never letting go of his hand, while Kurt rested a hand on Blaine's shoulder.

 _When I was young  
I never needed anyone  
And making love was just for fun  
Those days are gone_

They started turning in sync with the other couples. Blaine was a surprisingly good dancer. He liked being in Blaine' arms. He felt safe, protected, loved. He felt at home.

 _Livin' alone  
I think of all the friends I've known  
When I dial the telephone  
Nobody's home_

Blaine started whispering the lyrics in his ears. It sent shivers down Kurt's spine.

 _All by myself  
Don't wanna be  
All by myself  
Anymore_

They kept dancing. They were getting strange looks from some people, but they didn't care. They were in their own little world, where nothing could touch them.

 _Hard to be sure  
Sometimes I feel so insecure  
And loves so distant and obscure  
Remains the cure_

Their foreheads were touching, and they were so close a sheet of paper wouldn't have fit between them.

 _All by myself  
Don't wanna be  
All by myself  
Anymore_

Their lips were almost touching. Kurt could feel Blaine's sweet breath on his lips. Blaine leaned forward. _It was so close._ And yet…

"I can't," Kurt said. He let go of Blaine's hand and ran out of the room. Blaine ran after him, yelling his name when he saw two faces he thought (and hoped) he would never see again sitting alone at a table in the back. They had seen everything.

Blaine made eye contact with his parents for only a second before running off to find Kurt.

 _All by myself  
Don't wanna live  
All by myself  
Anymore_

* * *

Kurt ran down the hallways of the building before finding a small hallway where the door to the boiler room was. He ran into the small space and pounded his fists against the wall, tears streaming down his face. _Why?_ He asked himself. _Right when I'm so close to what I want, the fear just creeps into the back of my mind…_ By the time Blaine found him, he was sitting slumped against the wall, his head in his hands. He sat down next to Kurt and held him in his arms while he cried. Blaine never asked why he was crying; he just held Kurt and felt his frame rack with sobs against his own. His heart broke seeing the boy he loved so torn up. And to think it was caused by something he did…

He let Kurt cry in silence for a few minutes, the air pierced with his strangled sobs, before saying, "I'm so sorry, Kurt. I really shouldn't have-"

"Did I ever tell you about my ex-boyfriend?"

Blaine's heart sank. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. "You never mentioned having an ex."

Kurt sniffled, not moving his head from its position on Blaine's chest. "His name was Tim. W-we met at an audition for _Wicked_. I caught him staring at me. We started going out not long after that."

"Kurt, why are you telling me this?" Blaine asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the rest of the story.

"Shh. Just listen," Kurt said. He drew a shaky breath and continued. "At first he was really nice. A bit overbearing, and a little jealous, but sweet. It was nice to feel as though someone cared about me. I never r-really noticed his overprotectiveness. Until one night when he took me to a club. I was alone while he went to get drinks, and some guy started hitting on me. I told him I had a boyfriend, and he backed off right away. But Tim had seen the whole thing. He came back just as the guy was walking away and punched him in the face."

Blaine raised his eyebrows in shock. That was a little more than "overprotectiveness" if you asked him. Kurt went on.

"We left before he could start any more fights. He was sulking the whole way home. When we got back to my apartment, Rachel was still at rehearsals. And h-he started yelling. Loudly. Louder than I had ever heard him yell. I knew he had had a few drinks, but he kept shouting about how I wanted to cheat on him, and how I should just start going out with that other guy instead. I started to tell him that he was the only one I wanted when…he hit me."

Blaine gasped, but Kurt didn't seem to hear him since he kept talking.

"He left right after that. I shook it off as nothing. I told myself that he was drunk, and he didn't mean it. I covered up the bruise the next morning so that Rachel wouldn't ask questions, and that was the end of it. Or so I thought. His jealousy started getting worse. He would snap at anyone who so much as looked at me for too long. He almost lost it in a restaurant because the waiter brought me free refills, and he nearly punched Rachel when she commented on how good my outfit looked on me. And then…it happened again. This time it was because some guy was staring at me in Central Park. He waited till we got home before letting it all out. The next time was because he thought _I_ was staring at someone. It happened again, and again, and every time I made some excuse. I had done this wrong, or he was just stressed. And then it all hit a peak."

Blaine was furious. How could Kurt let himself be pushed around like that? He wanted to say something, but he held it in.

"I had finally gotten a part in a musical. It wasn't a lead, but it was a supporting role. I had exchanged numbers with one of the guys I had scenes with so that we could run lines together. One night, while Tim and I were at my place watching a movie, he started texting me. I texted him back, and we had a conversation going. Then I left my phone to go to the bathroom. When I came back, I saw Tim, red-faced with a glass of whiskey in one hand and my phone in the other. He asked what I was doing with this guy, and I told him we were talking about the scenes we had together. He showed me a text that had come in while I was in the bathroom…asking me if I wanted to go out with him. He was furious. Absolutely livid. He hit me, and I thought that that would be the end of it. But it wasn't. He smashed the glass over my head, shoved me into the bookcases, kicking me when I fell over. He kept saying he didn't want to do this, but that I had given him no choice. I didn't think it would ever end. There wasn't a part of me that he hadn't punched, cut or kicked by him. When he finished with me, he left me on the carpet, bleeding, and he spit on me. After he left, I don't remember much. All I remember is Rachel opening the door a few hours later and screaming."

At this point, Kurt was crying again, and Blaine could barely contain his anger. How could someone do that to him? Someone who he had trusted, maybe even loved? It was enough to make him see red.

"I-I woke up in the hospital. The nurses said that I had several broken ribs, a broken leg, bruises and cuts everywhere, and I was suffering from severe shock. I had to stay there for a few days recovering, in which Rachel would spend hours upon hours cursing his name. A few hours after we got home, there was a knock at the door. It was Tim, holding a bouquet of roses. I had to hold Rachel back to keep her from mauling him. He kept apologizing, but I didn't accept it. I had finally seen the real him. I was done making excuses. I told him it was over, and I slammed the door in his face."

They were both silent for a few minutes. It was only after he had calmed down enough to speak that Blaine said, "Kurt, I am honoured that you chose to share that with me, but why _did_ you tell me?"

"Because _that's_ why we can't be together! He's the reason why I'm so terrified of relationships! He's the reason why I try not to get to close to people, because I'm afraid that if I let someone in then they're just going to hurt me like he did! Not just physically, but emotionally! Did you know that I had to spend the last _8 months_ in therapy because of him? Blaine, I want to be with you so, _so_ badly, but I can't handle the thought of being hurt like that again! If I had never met him, I would have asked you out weeks ago! But I can't, I can't be in a relationship with you right now. Not yet. Not.." Kurt tried to finish, but he was crying too hard to continue. Blaine held him closer.

As Kurt cried in his arms, Blaine said, "I am so, _so_ sorry that this happened to you. You didn't deserve it, any of it. You are this amazing, beautiful, talented, wonderful person, and you deserve the absolute best that life can give you. And I completely understand why you can't be with me. But I-I want you to know that I'll wait for you." He was crying now too.

Kurt shook his head. "No. You deserve someone whole, and perfect, and who can give you everything you need. Not me, this broken, incomplete person with so much love for you…but who can't give it to you yet."

Blaine took Kurt's face in his hands hand put it eye-level with his own.

"You're all that I want. And you're all that I need. You are perfect to me."

They both had tears streaming down their faces now. Kurt buried his face in Blaine's chest. They stayed like that for who knows how long, just taking in what they had heard from each other.

Blaine broke the silence. "Kurt?"

"Mhm?"

"You know I'd never hurt you, right?"

Kurt stayed silent before saying, "I know." He paused before asking, "Blaine? C-can you…kiss me?"

Blaine's eyes widened. "A-are you sure? I don't want to rush you or anyth-"

"I'm sure. It's just – in case by the time I'm ready you've found someone else…I just want to know what it's like to feel like I'm yours."

Though Blaine knew that that would never happen (since he would wait for Kurt until the end of time if he had to), he gently cradled Kurt's face in one hand, looking deep into his perfect eyes. Were they blue? Green? Gray? He would never know. He looked at the lips that he had been dreaming of kissing for a while now, and without a second thought, leaned in and gently captured them with his own.

It was a sweet kiss, not long or lustful, just two pairs of lips that had wanted to meet for a long time briefly joining as one. But for Blaine, those were the best 6 seconds of his life. And from the look in the other boy's eyes, he felt the same way. Blaine cracked a smile.

"That was nice," He said. Kurt nodded with a small smile. Blaine looked at the boy he wished so dearly he could call his. "Do you want to go?" He asked. Kurt nodded again, feeling like a small child wrapped in Blaine's embrace. Blaine kissed the top of Kurt's head and regretfully got up.

"I'll go tell Rose we're leaving, okay?" He said, not wanting to leave Kurt alone. But he made his way back to the main room, stopping by the bathroom to make sure that there were no tear tracks left on his face. He walked back into the reception, where a few people turned to stare at him. The rest were too drunk to notice. He found Rose talking to Anthony near the main table where the important people sit.

"Oh, hi Blaine," She said, noticing him immediately. "What's up?"

"Um, here's the thing…Kurt's not feeling well, so I think I'm just going to drive him home and call it a night," He said. He wasn't _technically_ lying.

She stared at him skeptically. "It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that he ditched you on the dance floor, would it?"

His eyes bugged. "You saw that?"

"Everyone saw that," Anthony said. "It's the most interesting thing that has happened tonight. Besides his angelic voice bringing us all to tears during karaoke. Come to think of it, he's the most exciting thing here. Sorry, Rose. You were outshined."

She punched her brother in the shoulder. "Shut up." She turned back to Blaine. "Look, tell him to feel better. It's been a blast having you guys here."

"I'll tell him. Thanks, Rose." He turned to walk away before he heard her call his name. He turned around.

"Take care of yourself, kid, " she said. "It's nice seeing you smile for a change.

* * *

Kurt sat in the small hallway, trying to dry his tears. He couldn't believe he had told Blaine about Tim. He had only ever told 3 people: Rachel, his therapist, and now Blaine. He didn't even tell his dad why he broke up with Tim. He just said that things weren't really working out. But on a more important note…

 _He and Blaine had kissed._

 _He had asked Blaine to kiss him._

 _Blaine had kissed him._

 _Oh, God._

Kissing Blaine was the best feeling on the planet. His lips were so soft and inviting, and he could just melt under his touch. _But then why couldn't he just be with him?_ Even Kurt didn't really know the answer.

He knew that Blaine would never hurt him. And he knew now that Blaine liked him. And he knew that he _definitely_ liked Blaine. Then why was he so scared?

 _Because I'm afraid of losing him._

Even if he did sort out his issues, and he and Blaine got in a relationship and it didn't work out, then not only would he be losing someone he loves, but he'd be losing an amazing friend. Someone that he can't live without.

But he wanted to be Blaine's so badly.

 _Is it worth the risk?_

He had to try to get over his fears. He had to let go of the past, and look towards a brighter future. Hopefully one with Blaine.

 _But what if he finds someone else?_

If he wouldn't do it for Blaine, he would do it for himself. He couldn't continue being stuck in history.

 _Can I do it?_

That was the real question.

Finally, Blaine came back. If he had come back any later, Kurt might have actually exploded with all of these thoughts.

He held out his hand. "Ready to go?" He asked. Kurt nodded and took his hand. No matter what happened between them, there would never come a time when he didn't want Blaine's hand clasping his. They walked wordlessly back to the car.

The ride back to Kurt's apartment was silent. But not in a bad way. In a comfortable way. They had already said practically everything that could be said between them, and there was no need for awkward chatting.

When they arrived, they rode up in the elevator, hand-in-hand before reaching the door. Kurt knew that Rachel was inside, waiting to hear how it went. Before he could say anything, Blaine wrapped his arms around him and hugged him. Kurt hugged him back, grateful to be in Blaine's arms again.

"Whatever happens with us, just know that I'll always be there for you," Blaine whispered into his ear. "Always."

Kurt smiled, his cheek against the side of Blaine's neck. "You know, when I said that the universe wanted us to be best friends, I wasn't kidding. We were definitely meant to be a part of each other's lives in some way."

Blaine pulled back from the hug. "Before I go, I-I want you to know that I lo-"

"Shh," Kurt put a finger against Blaine's lips. "Not here, not now. Not after all this."

Blaine nodded. "I understand."

Kurt looked at him, and before he could stop himself he wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck and kissed him quickly on the lips. Blaine didn't even have time to react before Kurt said, "Coffee, tomorrow? Four o'clock?"

Blaine grinned, unable to help himself. "I'll be there." He removed Kurt's arms from his neck and held his hands. "Goodnight, Kurt."

"Goodnight, Blaine," Kurt said. Blaine smiled and walked back towards the elevator. Kurt sighed. What had this night come to?

He opened the door to find Rachel sitting at the dining room table, in her pyjamas with a desk lamp on the table. "Have a seat," She said. In a voice that would have been suitable for the Wicked Witch of the West. Kurt sat in front of her, a little nervous. She switched on the light and turned the bulb so that it was facing him, like an interrogation. "Alright, start talking. How did it go?"

Kurt rolled his eyes at his roommate's utter insanity. "It went fine."

" _Fine_? The rice pilaf I made last week was _fine-_ "

"Try disgusting."

"This is not the time to insult my cooking!" Rachel yelled, slamming her hand on the table. "I want answers, and I want them now!"

"Okay, okay, fine! I'll tell you!" Kurt said, since Rachel was getting that look in her eyes that she got when she was about to get physical to get what she wanted, and Kurt did _not_ need a black eye today. "God, no wonder all of your castmates say you're incredibly difficult to work with." He sighed. "Where to begin…"

"Julie Andrews says that the beginning is a very good place to start," Rachel announced.

"Ha ha, you're so funny," Kurt said sarcastically. He retold the story, starting from when they got in the car. Rachel was a great listener, gasping and 'aww'ing in the right places. By the time he was done, she had one hand covering her mouth in shock and the other holding Kurt's hand.

"Wow…" She said in disbelief. "Kurt, I'm sorry it didn't work out exactly the way you wanted it to."

Kurt nodded sadly. "I just wish I could run into his arms and kiss him silly, but…I'm scared, Rach."

"What are you scared of, hon?" She asked.

"Losing him. Him hurting me. I really don't know. I-I guess what I'm most scared of is actually being in a relationship with him but not being able to give him all my love because I'm scared of those other things."

She squeezed his hand. "You know, you're not going to be able to move on if you don't forgive yourself first."

Kurt's head snapped up. "Forgive myself?"

"Kurt, I know that you still blame yourself for what happened with Tim. No matter what I tell you, or what Dr. Wheeler tells you, you still think it's your fault. _Which it's not."_

The comment caught Kurt off guard. Did he blame himself? I mean sure, if he hadn't led his castmate on, Tim might not have overreacted, or if he hadn't given him that whiskey he might not have been so drunk, or-

Yep. He blamed himself.

Now what?

If what Rachel said was true, he had to convince himself that it wasn't his fault. That was the only way he'd ever be able to be in a relationship with Blaine. But how? He supposed he could just try repeating "It's not my fault" in his head until it sunk in.

 _It's not my fault  
It's not my fault  
It's not my fault  
It's my fault  
It's completely my fault  
Oh God it's all my fault I ruined everything what am I going to-_

Well, that didn't work. He'd have to work on that.

"Kurt, I know you. You are the strongest person I've ever met. When you want something, you will work yourself to the bone to make sure you get it. And Blaine is something you want. So I can guarantee that you will get past your issues. You know why? Because you won't rest until you're over all of this, and Blaine is yours." Rachel said.

Kurt smiled. "Thanks, Rach. I knew there was a reason I chose you as a roommate, and not just because I'm the only one who can put up with all your crazy without going insane."

Rachel squeezed his hand. "And speaking of people who put up with my crazy-"

"You'd be surprised at how small that number is."

"I have news." She took a deep breath. "Finn and I are back together!" She said, badly suppressing a grin.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Hold on," He said as he walked into his room. He came back with a small orange notebook he kept next to his bed.

"What's that?" Rachel asked, straining to see the object in his hand.

"It's the notebook where I've been keeping track of everything that happens in yours and Finn's relationship. I started keeping it after your fourth make-up to show future generations how to fail at moving on from an ex."

"You told me that was your dream diary!" Rachel exclaimed.

"I lied." Kurt flipped to a blank page, clicked his pen, and said, "So, make-up #9. How did it happen this time?"

Rachel huffed. "Well, if you must know, I realized that I had left my copy of _The Way We Were_ at his place the last time we broke up, so I went over to get it yesterday. That's why I was late coming home-"

" _That's_ why? You told me you had to stay late at rehearsals!"

"Guess you're not the only liar here, huh?" Rachel said. Kurt stuck out his tongue. "So, when I got there, he started saying how much he missed me, and how if we got back together he would always make sure that I'm happy, and it was just so adorable, I couldn't resist. Then one thing led to another, and next thing I knew we were in his bedroom having-"

"Okay, I think that's all the info I need!" Kurt said loudly, not wanting to know what their post-make-up activities were.

Rachel stared at him. "So what else do you have in that book?"

Kurt rifled through the pages and cleared his throat. "Make-up #5: He serenaded you with _I Just Can't Stop Loving You_ in Central Park, to the general amusement and annoyance of others, but to your utter delight." Rachel blushed.

"Break-up #7: He ordered for you during your 5 week anniversary dinner at Sardi's." He stared at her pointedly. "Really, Rachel?"

"Oh, c'mon! I was tired and stressed, _and_ I was PMSing!"

"RACHEL! I thought we had agreed not to mention your cycle! For my own sanity!" Kurt yelled.

"Oh, grow up!" Rachel spat at him.

"You seem to be forgetting that I am a gay male who has not shared close living quarters with a woman since I was eight other than my stepmother, and that was only for a year and a half!" Kurt yelled back.

"God, this is just like that time you found my tampons underneath the bathroom sink." Rachel said, rolling her eyes.

"You had agreed to keep them in your room!"

Rachel stood up and sighed. "You know, I think I'm just going to go to bed. It's late, and I have had a crazy day."

"You and me both, sister."

"Goodnight!" Rachel said as she walked into her bedroom.

"Night!" He yelled back. He yawned. _I should probably hit the sack too. It's been a long day…_

* * *

When Blaine got back to his apartment, he took off his shoes, hung up his keys and leaned against the door. Wow, what a weird day. What had happened again? Oh, right.

He had realized he loved Kurt.

Kurt seemed to like him too.

They had kissed.

But they still weren't together.

What?

Blaine kept trying to wrap his head around it all. He completely understood why Kurt didn't want to be in a relationship yet. If he had been in his place, he would have felt the same way. But Kurt had asked Blaine to kiss him. That meant he at least felt _something_ for him…right?

He shook his head. This was all so confusing for him. So he dealt with his confusion the only way he knew how: with music. He sat down in front of the keyboard he had in his living room. His musical instruments were the only things he refused to sell. And thank God he did, because they really helped him in times like these. He began to play.

 _Guess mine is not the first heart broken  
My eyes are not the first to cry  
I'm not the first to know.  
There's just no getting over you_

 _I know I'm just a fool who's willing  
To sit around and wait for you  
But baby, can't you see?  
There's nothing else for me to do  
I'm hopelessly devoted to you_

He closed his eyes and let the music course through him.

 _But now, there's nowhere to hide  
Since you pushed my love aside  
I'm out of my head  
Hopelessly devoted to you  
Hopelessly devoted to you…_

He saw images of Kurt laughing, smiling, singing behind his closed eyelids. He kept playing.

 _My head is saying "Fool, forget him"  
My heart is saying "Don't let go"  
Hold on to the end  
That's what I intend to do  
I'm hopelessly devoted to you_

 _Cause now, there's nowhere to hide  
Since you pushed my love aside  
I'm out of my head  
Hopelessly devoted to you  
Hopelessly devoted to you  
To you…_

"That was some song."

Blaine turned around to find Wes standing behind him. He hadn't even heard him come in. He bit his lower lip. "I've got to fix that damn lock…"

Wes grabbed a chair from the dining room and sat next to him. "So, from the sound of that song, you were either friend zoned or heartbroken by him. Which is it?"

"It's um…kind of a long story."

"We've got time. It's only…" Wes checked his watch. "12:30 p.m."

"What kind of friend breaks into their friend's apartment at half past midnight to gossip about his love life?"

"The best kind. Now start squawking, Romeo."

Blaine sighed and told him everything. Well, almost everything. He left out the details of Kurt's story, simply saying that he had an ex who had ruined the idea of relationships for him. By the end, Wes was nodding his head slowly.

"Wow…that was quite a long story," He said, still a bit shocked. "My initial piece of advice would have been to hunt his ex down and murder him, but then you have to find out his last name, and track him down, which is too much work for one night."

"Wes…"

"I'm kidding. Sort of. Look, Blaine, I feel for you. Especially considering that this isn't even your fault. But I think that the best – and only – thing you can do is give him time. Don't be distant; just try to get your relationship back to the way it was before."

Blaine furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't know if that is going to be possible, Wes. It might get kind of awkward."

"Just try, okay? And give him time.' Wes reiterated. Blaine smiled.

"Alright. I'll try." He paused. "Do you wanna stay here tonight? I feel bad making you drive home this late at night. I could give you an extra pillow and you can stay on the couch, like when we were teenagers and you didn't want your parents to know you were drunk."

Wes laughed. "Thanks, but no thanks. I've got to be getting home. David and I are having a Harry Potter movie marathon as soon as I get back."

"At midnight?"

"That's the best time for movie marathons!" He patted Blaine on the shoulder and left.

Blaine sighed. Was it really that late? He ought to be getting to bed…

* * *

 _ **A/N: Confession time! This is all I ever wrote. I know, I'm as upset as you are. I want to know what happens too. Unfortunately, I have no plans to ever return to this, so most likely you and I will be in the same boat of never knowing until the end of time. I just don't have the time now that I'm an adult, and frankly, I don't care enough about Glee or Klaine to keep writing it five years after the fact. Pretty cruel of me to put this at the end of the chapter instead of as a disclaimer. Maybe someday I'll come back to it, but not any time soon. If you have any ideas for how to finish it, leave a review and maybe I'll come back to tie up loose ends. I always did want to bring Tim back. And maybe even add a scene with the titular song (Untouchable by Taylor Swift)...anyways, I hope you enjoyed Untouchable!**_


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